Joe Biden Medal of Freedom

[Chris Liontas]

I was perusing the news the other day and I noticed Joe Biden was awarded the Medal of Freedom.  While running on my lunch hour I got a chance to see the replays of the medal being awarded.  Now while everyone on TV seemed to go into straight political mode--did he/didn't he deserve it..blah blah blah -- I could not stop thinking about how just darn ugly the medal is.  Honestly, its huge and gaudy.  When the President is placing it on Joe's neck, I thought the ribbon was tangled; but it appears to hang like a sash medal  rather than a neck medal.  I know the Legion of Merit has an international award on a sash, and it kind of hangs like this does.  I think the neck ribbon kink and the size of the eagles just make it look like something I would buy my daughter at the Disney Store.   I just keep thinking....is it supposed to look like that???

So odd that this would be our highest award...

Edited January 13, 2017 by Chris Liontas

[Chris Boonzaier]

That medal be so ugly I thought it was one of the australian series of ugly medals!!!

[Herman]

Yeah, in the enamelled medal departement the USA has a lot of ugly, over the top, garbage. The European orders are so much more classy. Well most of them. The newest ones are pretty poor aswell.

Regards

Herman 

 

[Megan]

I think that what happened was that Biden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, a sort of higher grade of the regular beast.

The insignia of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction consists of a pinback star that is identical to the regular neck badge only bigger (79 mm x 83 mm) worn with a sash over the right shoulder that has a rosette worn on the left hip that has the central part of the badge in the middle (there isn't actually a badge hanging from the sash like most grand crosses). The thing is, nobody ever wears the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction in its full form... even when presented they generally bodge the larger star onto a neck ribbon and hang it round the awardees neck - and this, I think, is what we are seeing here.

Here's a picture of the beast, courtesy of e-Medals:

[Megan]

Having now tracked down the transcript of the award ceremony and the citation, it seems that my surmise was correct, Biden did get the Medal of Freedom with Distinction.

[922F]

Megan, as usual, correctly identified this unfortunate mish-mash shortcut.  Joe wears the  Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction ‘star’ on a cravat.

What a shame that no most Presidents fail to award this rare award properly.  A staff screw up or ignorance?  The same mish-mash 'neck badge' jump-up appeared when Nixion first presented the 3 Apollo 11 astronauts their awards with Distinction in 1970, but at least Aldrin & Armstrong subsequently wore the complete sash, badge & star.   Believe that Jean Monnet [1963], Dean Acheson [1964], Arthur Rubinstein [1976] , and Colin Powell [1993], all of whom received the award with Distinction, were photographed receiving the sash draped over their bodies.  

Here's an image of the  Presidential Medal of Freedom without distinction--note the suspension device and smaller size badge.  

Edited January 14, 2017 by 922F
spelck

[Jim Baker]

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 10:56, 922F said:

Megan, as usual, correctly identified this unfortunate mish-mash shortcut.  Joe wears the  Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction ‘star’ on a cravat.

What a shame that no most Presidents fail to award this rare award properly.  A staff screw up or ignorance?  The same mish-mash 'neck badge' jump-up appeared when Nixion first presented the 3 Apollo 11 astronauts their awards with Distinction in 1970, but at least Aldrin & Armstrong subsequently wore the complete sash, badge & star.   Believe that Jean Monnet [1963], Dean Acheson [1964], Arthur Rubinstein [1976] , and Colin Powell [1993], all of whom received the award with Distinction, were photographed receiving the sash draped over their bodies.  

Here's an image of the  Presidential Medal of Freedom without distinction--note the suspension device and smaller size badge.  

This is the one "celebrities" receive.  

[Chris Liontas]

Makes a ton more sense!   Thank you for the information.  I knew something wasn't right :-).