§ 578.52 - American Defense Service Medal.

(a) The American Defense Service Medal (ADSM) was established by Executive Order 8808, announced in WD Bulletin 17, 1941. It is awarded for service between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941 under orders to active duty for a period of 12 months or longer.

(b) A clasp, with the inscription “Foreign Service”, is worn on the ADSM to denote service outside the continental limits of the United States, including service in Alaska, as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters, flights over ocean waters, or as an assigned member of a organization stationed outside the continental limits of the United States. Possession of a clasp is denoted by the wearing of a bronze service star on the service ribbon. (See § 578.61 for descriptions of the clasp and service stars.)

(c) Description. The Bronze medal is 11/4 inches in width. On the obverse is a female Grecian figure symbolic of defense, holding in her sinister hand an ancient war shield in reverse and her dexter hand brandishing a sword above her head, and standing upon a conventionalized oak branch with four leaves. Around the top is the lettering “AMERICAN DEFENSE”. On the reverse is the wording “FOR SERVICE DURING THE LIMITED EMERGENCY PROCLAIMED BY THE PRESIDENT ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1939 OR DURING THE UNLIMITED EMERGENCY PROCLAIMED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MAY 27, 1941” above a seven-leafed spray of laurel. The foreign service clasp is a Bronze bar 1/8 inch in width and 11/2 inches in length with the words “FOREIGN SERVICE”, with a star at each end of the inscription. The foreign service clasp is placed on the suspension ribbon of the medal. The ribbon is 13/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/16 inch Golden Yellow 67104; 1/8 inch triparted Old Glory Blue 67178; White 67101; and Scarlet 67111; center 3/4 inch Golden Yellow; 1/8 inch triparted Scarlet; White; and Old Glory Blue 67178; and 3/16 inch Golden Yellow.