Navy Commendation Star

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The Navy Commendation Star was a decoration of the United States Navy which was authorized in 1918 as an attachment to the World War I Victory Medal. The Navy Commendation Star was awarded to any service member who had been cited for gallantry or heroism by the United States Secretary of the Navy.

The Navy Commendation Star appeared as a small silver star device which was pinned to the World War I Victory Medal, above all battle clasps. When worn as a ribbon on a military uniform, the Navy Commendation Star was pinned before all service stars. The Navy Commendation Star was identical to the Silver Citation Star, issued by the United States Army. Unlike the Citation Star, however, the Navy Commendation Star was not upgradeable to the Silver Star nor was the device retroactive to other service medals, besides the World War I Victory Medal.

At the start of the Second World War, the Navy Commendation Star was declared obsolete and none were issued between 1941 and 1945. In the 1950s, the Department of the Navy began accepting applications from World War I veterans to upgrade the Navy Commendation Star to the Navy Commendation Medal.

See also: Awards and decorations of the United States military