Posted:
By: Dave Edkins
On: 01/08/2006
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The custom of the 8th Air Force was to award an Air Medal for 5 combat missions. The oak leaf cluster was awarded for additional awards, thus the AM with two oak leave clusters would represent 15 combat missions. The Navy and Marine Corps had different award criteria and used gold stars to represent additional awards. Most groups followed the practice of awarding the Distinguished Flying Cross for completing 25 missions. The government engraved the name on the back when forwarding posthumous awards of decorations. If awarded unengraved, the recipient could mail the medal into Philadelphia Mint to have them officially engraved.
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