European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Encyclopedia
The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is a military decoration
of the United States armed forces
which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
. The decoration was intended to recognize those military service members who had performed military duty in the European Theater (to include North Africa
and the Middle East
) during the years of the Second World War. Colored bands representing Germany (on the ribbon's left side), Italy (on the ribbon's right side), and the United States (in the center of the ribbon) are visible in the ribbon. The brown and green areas of the ribbon represent the terrain of the area of conflict, which ranged from beaches and sand, to grass and woodlands, to mountains.
Originally known as the “EAME Ribbon”, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is awarded for any service performed between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946 provided such service was performed in the geographical theater areas of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. For those service members who participated in multiple battle campaigns, service stars are authorized to the decoration with the arrowhead device
awarded for any airborne or amphibious operations performed. The Fleet Marine Force combat operation insignia is also authorized for certain sailors.
The following campaigns are recognized by service stars to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
For those service members who did not participate in a designated battle campaign, the following "blanket campaigns" are authorized to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, denoted by service stars
The Pacific Theater
counterpart to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
. The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was awarded as a ribbon throughout the entire Second World War and it was not until 1947 that a full sized medal was authorized. The medal was designed by Thomas Hudson Jones
. The reverse side was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman
and is the same design as used on the reverse of the Asiatic-Pacific and American Campaign Medal
s. The first recipient of the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was General of the Army
Dwight Eisenhower who was presented the decoration in recognition of his service as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II.
United States service medals of the World Wars
United States service medals of the World Wars are U.S. military decorations which were created solely for service in the First World War and World War II...
of the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. The decoration was intended to recognize those military service members who had performed military duty in the European Theater (to include North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
) during the years of the Second World War. Colored bands representing Germany (on the ribbon's left side), Italy (on the ribbon's right side), and the United States (in the center of the ribbon) are visible in the ribbon. The brown and green areas of the ribbon represent the terrain of the area of conflict, which ranged from beaches and sand, to grass and woodlands, to mountains.
Originally known as the “EAME Ribbon”, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is awarded for any service performed between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946 provided such service was performed in the geographical theater areas of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. For those service members who participated in multiple battle campaigns, service stars are authorized to the decoration with the arrowhead device
Arrowhead device
The Arrowhead device is a decoration of the United States Army which is issued as an attachment to certain service medals. The Arrowhead device is awarded to any service member who participates in an amphibious assault, a combat parachute drop, a helicopter assault landing, or a combat glider...
awarded for any airborne or amphibious operations performed. The Fleet Marine Force combat operation insignia is also authorized for certain sailors.
The following campaigns are recognized by service stars to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
- Egypt-LibyaWestern Desert CampaignThe Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
: June 11, 1942 – February 12, 1943 - Air Offensive, Europe: July 4, 1942 – June 5, 1944
- Algeria-French MoroccoOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
: November 8–11, 1942 - TunisiaTunisia CampaignThe Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
: November 12, 1942 – May 13, 1943 - SicilyAllied invasion of SicilyThe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
: May 14, 1943 – August 17, 1943 - Naples-FoggiaAllied invasion of ItalyThe Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
: August 18, 1943 – January 21, 1944 - AnzioOperation ShingleOperation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
: January 22, 1944 – May 24, 1944 - RomeBattle of Monte CassinoThe Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
-ArnoTrasimene LineThe Trasimene Line was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was also sometimes known as the Albert Line...
: January 22, 1944 – September 9, 1944 - Normandy: June 6, 1944 – July 24, 1944
- Northern FranceOperation OverlordOperation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
: July 25, 1944 – September 14, 1944 - Southern FranceOperation DragoonOperation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
: August 15, 1944 – September 14, 1944 - Northern ApenninesGothic LineThe Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
: September 10, 1944 – April 4, 1945 - Rhineland: September 15, 1944 – March 21, 1945
- Ardennes-AlsaceBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
: December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945 - Central Europe: March 22, 1945 – May 11, 1945
- Po ValleySpring 1945 offensive in ItalyThe Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
: April 5, 1945 – May 8, 1945
For those service members who did not participate in a designated battle campaign, the following "blanket campaigns" are authorized to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, denoted by service stars
- Antisubmarine: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
- Ground Combat: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
- Air Combat: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
The Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
counterpart to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
. The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was awarded as a ribbon throughout the entire Second World War and it was not until 1947 that a full sized medal was authorized. The medal was designed by Thomas Hudson Jones
Thomas Hudson Jones
Thomas Hudson Jones was a U.S. sculptor for the Army's Institute of Heraldry.His father was an engraver and encouraged him from childhood to be a sculptor. He attended the Albright Art School in Buffalo, NY. At 19 he won the Prix de Rome Fellowship for 3 years of study at the American Academy of...
. The reverse side was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman
Adolph Alexander Weinman
Adolph Alexander Weinman was an American sculptor, born in Karlsruhe, Germany.- Biography :Weinman arrived in the United States at the age of 10. At the age of 15, he attended evening classes at Cooper Union and later studied at the Art Students League of New York with sculptors Augustus St....
and is the same design as used on the reverse of the Asiatic-Pacific and American Campaign Medal
American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
s. The first recipient of the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
Dwight Eisenhower who was presented the decoration in recognition of his service as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II.