Unofficial decorations of the United States military are those awards and decorations that were authorized under military regulations, but never appeared on official precedence charts. Unofficial awards may also be bestowed for a one-time action or be authorized under the authority of a local commander.
Unofficial military awards were fairly common in the early 20th century, however in the modern age such decorations are rare due large in 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, however, 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.[1]
The following is a listing of unofficial United States military awards.
Contents |
| Cold War Victory Medal | Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal |
|---|---|
| Butler Medal | Kearny Cross | Walter Reed Medal | Kearny Medal | Gillmore Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Recognition Ribbon |
|---|
| NC-4 Medal |
|---|
| Cardenas Medal of Honor |
|---|
| Chaplain's Medal for Heroism | United States Antarctic Expedition Medal |
Perry Polar Expeditionary Medal |
Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal (1930) |
Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal (1935) |
|---|---|---|---|---|