Unofficial decorations of the United States military are those awards and decorations which are not authorized by United States military regulations but are worn or displayed by individuals serving in the United States military, such as decorations privately issued by local commanders.
The Department of Defense has stated that large numbers of unofficial medals were privately issued to members of the Armed Forces of the United States during the Civil War.
Unofficial military awards were fairly common in the early 20th century. In the modern age, however, such decorations are rare, due in large part to the stringent and specific regulations regarding the issuance of military decorations and the manner of wear on military uniforms. The term may still be used, though, to denote decorations that were proposed for creation, but never actually distributed.
During the Second World War the OSS instituted a decoration dubbed "Military Order of the White Peacock" and awarded 49 of these silver medals to Kachin guerillas fighting the Japanese in Burma. The award has also been seen referred to as the "Commendation for Meritorious Achievement" or the "Civilian Military Assistance Award". General Joseph W. Stilwell has probably been the 50th recipient.
The following is a listing of unofficial United States military awards.
Read more about Unofficial Decorations Of The United States Military: General Service, Army Service
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