The Citation Star was an award

Awards and decorations of the United States military

Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...

 of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 which was first established by the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 on July 9, 1918. The Citation Star was a silver star device pinned to the World War I Victory Medal to denote those who had been cited for extreme heroism or valor. The decoration was made retroactive as an attachment to all service medals back to the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

.

General Jervey, Office of the Chief of Staff, in a letter dated February 26, 1926, wrote:

The Secretary of War directs as follows - The following is the amended version of paragraph 187 of Army Regulation: "No more than one Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 or one Distinguished Service Cross

Distinguished Service Cross (United States)

The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...

 or one Distinguished Service Medal shall be issued to any one person, but for each succeeding or act sufficient to justify the award of a Medal of Honor or Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, respectively, a bronze oak leaf cluster

Oak leaf cluster

An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...

, shall be issued in lieu thereof; and for each citation of an officer or enlisted man for gallantry in action, published in orders from headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer, not warranting the issue of a Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, he shall wear a silver star, 3/16 inch in diameter, as prescribed in Uniform Regulations."

In 1921, Army Regulation 600-40 specified that the Citation Star would be worn above a campaign clasp on the ribbon of the service medal for service which a citation had been given. When displayed on an award ribbon, the Citation Star would be worn before service stars.

The service medals which were authorized for the Citation Star include:

• World War I Victory Medal
• Civil War Campaign Medal
  Civil War Campaign Medal
  The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States military. The decoration was awarded to members of the United States military who had served in the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865.-Establishment:...
  
  
• Indian Campaign Medal
  Indian Campaign Medal
  The Indian Campaign Medal is a decoration established by War Department General Orders 12, 1907. The medal was retroactively awarded to any soldier of the U.S...
  
  
• Spanish Campaign Medal
  Spanish Campaign Medal
  The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those members of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish-American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish Campaign Medal, one for members of the United...
  
  
• Philippine Campaign Medal
  Philippine Campaign Medal
  The Philippine Campaign Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces which was created to denote service of U.S. military members in the Philippine-American War between the years of 1899 and 1913. Although a single service medal, the Philippine Campaign Medal was issued under...
  
  
• China Campaign Medal
  China Campaign Medal
  The China Campaign Medal is a decoration of the United States Army which was created by order of the United States War Department on January 12, 1905...
  
  
• Mexican Service Medal
  Mexican Service Medal
  The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military which was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917...
  
  

On July 19, 1932 the United States Secretary of War approved the Silver Star

Silver Star

The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

 to replace the Citation Star. For those who had received several Citation stars, oak leaf clusters were authorized for the Silver Star.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, a silver star device was used as an appurtenance or attachment to campaign medals, in lieu of five bronze service star

Service star

A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...

s.

The Citation Star was only authorized for the U.S. Army, however a very similar device, known as the Navy Commendation Star

Navy Commendation Star

The Navy Commendation Star was a decoration of the United States Navy which was authorized in 1918 as an attachment to the World War I Victory Medal...

 was authorized for wear by Navy and Marine Corps personnel on the World War I Victory Medal. The two decorations were not considered equivalent, however, and the Navy Commendation Star was not upgradeable to the Silver Star Medal.

At the start of the Second World War, the Navy Commendation Star was declared obsolete and none were issued between 1941 and 1945. In the 1950s, the Department of the Navy began accepting applications from World War I veterans to upgrade the Navy Commendation Star to the Navy Commendation Medal.