LEGION OF MERIT - Commander Grade

[JBFloyd]

It's difficult to track exact numbers awarded, but in 1947 the Army reported that in WWII the Legion of Merit had been awarded 20,273 times to US Army personnel (except for a very small number of early awards, those would have all been Legionnaire grade awards).

Allies received awards in the following numbers:

Chief Commander - 31 awards

Commander - 415 awards

Officer - 918 awards

Legionnaire - 339 awards

These numbers are not exact, but are what the Army reported to itself after the war. There were numerous awards made by overseas commands that never appeared in War Department orders.

The LoM was used very aggressively to cement relations with neutral countries as well as allies in WWII (Chile got 18 awards; Ecuador got 8; Guatemala got 5; Mexico got 22; the British Empire got 900 awards).

The LoM was created as an all-ranks award and, while Roosevelt was alive, it remained so. In WWII, privates in the US Army received the award 118 times. After 1945, it very quickly evolved into a colonel/general's Good Conduct Medal and only relatively recently have senior NCOs received it again.

One other anomoly stands out to confuse everything. Gen Joseph Stilwell was awarded the Chief Commander grade (contrary to regulations) because the US government wanted Chiang Kai-Shek to get the Chief Commander and Chiang would not accept it unless Stilwell received one as well. So, it was done.

Jeff Floyd

[Guest Darrell]

Interesting stuff Jeff.

As a sidenote*

1. One of the first Chief Commander Grades was presented to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of China.

2. The first Commander Grade was awarded to Brigadier General Amaro Soares Bittencourt of Brazil.

3. The first Officer Grade was awarded to Col. Meijer of the Royal Netherlands Army.

4. The first Legionnaire's Grade was awarded to Lt. Ann A. Bernatitus, Navy Nurse Corps (earned her LMO for heroic performance of duty on Bataan and Corregidor).

*NOTE* Although Lt. Bernatitus was the first recipient, she was not the first to be recognized. Several US Army personnel received LOM for actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Edited September 26, 2005 by Darrell

[Guest Darrell]

Here (as posted elsewhere) are the full compliments of LOM Grades.

L to R .... Commander / Officer / Legionnaire and Chief Commander Grades.

Edited September 26, 2005 by Darrell

[MSgt_mode]

These are beautiful, I have got to get one of these for my collection.

Ron