Medal of Freedom
The Medal of Freedom was a decoration established by President Harry S. Truman to honor civilians whose actions aided in the war efforts of the United States and its allies during and beyond World War II. It was intended to be awarded by the secretary of state, the secretary of war, or the secretary of the Navy, but presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy also authorized awards. The first woman and American citizen to receive it was Anna M. Rosenberg by Robert P. Patterson on the recommendation of Eisenhower.
Medal of Freedom
Lderedon · US government · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Medal of Freedom
- Field
- medal
- Period
- 1945
- Region
- United States
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Documentary summary
The Medal of Freedom was a decoration established by President Harry S. Truman to honor civilians whose actions aided in the war efforts of the United States and its allies during and beyond World War II. It was intended to be awarded by the secretary of state, the secretary of war, or the secretary of the Navy, but presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy also authorized awards. The first woman and American citizen to receive it was Anna M. Rosenberg by Robert P. Patterson on the recommendation of Eisenhower.
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Awarded · incoming
Bebe Daniels
Person
J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs
Awarded · incoming
Eivind Berggrav
Author
Oslo Museum : accession number OB.RP21483b
Awarded · incoming
Hattie Carnegie
Designer
eBay item photo front photo back
Awarded · incoming
Jan van Hoof
Artist
Spelregels
Located In · outgoing
United States
Place
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Authority files
wikidata · Q1330790
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Medal of Freedom • Presenter — the Secretary of State, Secretary of War or Secretary of the Navy • Type — Medal • Eligibility — Any person not a member of the armed forces of the United States • Awarded For — "A meritorious act or service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of a war against an enemy or enemies and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate" • Status — Replaced 22 February 1963 by Presidential Medal of Freedom • Established — 1945 • Firstawarded — 1945 • Lastawarded — 1962 • Total Awarded — Over 20,000 • Caption2 — Ribbon bar of the medal • Higher — Medal for Merit • Lower — unspecified
Ribbons
Ribbons
Without palm With bronze palm With silver palm With gold palm
Citation of Monique de Bissy for Medal of Freedom for acts of courage during WWII.
Lderedon · US government
![Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Dienst voor Legercontacten Indonesië Reportage / Serie: [DLC] Decoratie generaal Spoor Beschrijving: [Generaal Spoor ontvangt een Amerikaanse onderscheiding. Walter A. Foote, de Amerikaanse consul-generaal te Batavia speldt de generaal de versierselen op die behoren bij de Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm. 3e van links generaal Buurman van Vreeden] Annotatie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Generaal_Spoor_ontvangt_een_Amerikaanse_onderscheiding._Walter_A._Foote%2C_de_Ame%E2%80%A6%2C_Bestanddeelnr_10004.jpg/800px-Generaal_Spoor_ontvangt_een_Amerikaanse_onderscheiding._Walter_A._Foote%2C_de_Ame%E2%80%A6%2C_Bestanddeelnr_10004.jpg)
Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Dienst voor Legercontacten Indonesië Reportage / Serie: [DLC] Decoratie generaal Spoor Beschrijving: [Generaal Spoor ontvangt een Amerikaanse onderscheiding. Walter A. Foote, de Amerikaanse consul-generaal te Batavia speldt de generaal de versierselen op die behoren bij de Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm. 3e van links generaal Buurman van Vreeden] Annotatie
Fotograaf Onbekend / DLC
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- United States
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Medal of Freedom is associated with United States.
Country
Description
The medal is a bronze disc whose obverse features the profile of the Statue of Freedom of the US Capitol Building, with the word "FREEDOM" in capital letters in an arc at the bottom of the disc. The reverse features the Liberty Bell surrounded by the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in capital letters. The medal is suspended on a red ribbon with four thin white stripes. The original Executive Order 9586 establishing the medal specified "No more than one Medal of Freedom shall be awarded to any one person, but for a subsequent act or service justifying such an award a suitable device may be awarded to be worn with the medal" and bronze, silver, and gold palm devices were produced and awarded. There is no evidence of U.S. citizens having received these palm devices, whereas some non-U.S. citizens did receive them (e.g. Micheline "Michou" Dumon, Nancy Wake and Andrée de Jongh), and the devices have been interpreted as signifying degrees of the award.
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Distinctions
2- Eivind BerggravAuthor
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
- Jan van HoofArtist
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Medals
1,069 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Medal of AsturiasTerminology
- Medal of BraveryTerminology
- Medal of CourageTerminology
- Medal of Devotion for National DefenseTerminology
- Medal of Merit for National DefenceTerminology
- Medal of Military DutyTerminology
- Medal of Military MeritTerminology
- Medal of Military ValorTerminology
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