| Liberated France Medal | |
|---|---|
A French Liberation Medal |
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| Awarded by France | |
| Type | Medal |
| Eligibility | Military and civilian (holders of the Légion d'Honneur, the Médaille de la Résistance, the Médaille Militaire, the Order of the Liberation, or the Medal of Gratitude are ineligible)[1] |
| Awarded for | Participation in the liberation of France in the Second World War |
| Status | Not awarded since 1957; available for purchase or by request from the government of France |
| Description | Obverse: "a map of France surrounded by a chain that is broken by two shellbursts, one in the northwest, the other in the southeast, i.e. one for each Allied landing place"[1] Reverse: inscription that reads "LA FRANCE - A SES LIBERATEURS" (France - to its liberators)[1] |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1947-09-12 |
| Last awarded | 1957-07-07 |
| Total awarded | 13,469 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1939–1945 |
| Next (lower) | Insigne du réfractaire au STO |
The French Liberation Medal or more precisely Liberated France Medal (Médaille de la France libérée) is a decoration of the French Republic which is issued to any veteran of the Second World War who participated in the liberation of France.
The Medal was created in 1947 for any person, military or civilian, who participated effectively in the Liberation of France from German occupation and for any Allied or French soldier who fought on French soil during the war. It has not been awarded since 1957.[2]
The French Liberation Medal was issued extensively to the United States military between 1946 and 1950. The medal was authorized for wear on a military uniform until the 1950s, when the French Liberation Medal adopted the status as a commemorative decoration for civilian wear only.
The United States government considers the French Liberation Medal to be a foreign decoration and it is not issued by the U.S. military to veterans of the Second World War. The decoration may be purchased from civilian military insignia vendors (e.g. French Mint) or by request from the French Embassy to the United States.
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