MOH and ribbon worn at the same time?

[Wessel Gordon]

Just a quick question for our American friends: in the link below several holders of the MOH are wearing both the actual medal and the ribbon on their ribbon bars. Is this officially sanctioned or politely allowed considering what these men went through to get the medal?

I was under the impression that in most countries military establishments it is a case of either wearing the medals themselves or the ribbons (never together), depending on the occasion and circumstances.

Kind regards,

Wessel Gordon

 

[Doc]

With long experience in the US Military, I would suggest that this is accepted use, even if not directly approved by regulation.  It is certainly not sensible to tear up ribbon bars and remove the MOH ribbon from the bar when wearing the medal itself.  This would be lots of unneeded work which makes no sense, given that you would then have to rebuild the bar both when the medal itself was being worn and when the medal itself was not being worn.  Just practicality.

[Wessel Gordon]

Doc,

Thanks for the answer. That's what I meant with ''politely allowed''. No official rule for it and no official rule against it, simply accepted custom.

 

 

Is it the only US medal is usually worn together with the ribbon or can any medal be worn with the ribbon on the ribbon bar?

[Doc]

Generally speaking, if full-size medals are worn, then they replace the ribbon bar.  And vice-versa.  You don't NORMALLY wear both full-size medals and ribbons at the same time.