Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1920 — DISTRIBUTION VICTORY MEDALS [ARTICLE]

DISTRIBUTION VICTORY MEDALS

AMERICAN LEGION IS ASKED TO ASSIST IN THIS TASK. A Applications for, the VictoryMedals, which the army commenced distributing June 21st, have been arriving so slowly that to date only 50,936 have been issued, which is the total number of applications received. The War Department prepared to issue approximately 35,000 of these Medals per day, and it would have taken four months under these conditions to complete the distribution. Only 50,000 applications, however, have been received in a month and at that rate it would take almost six years before each man, who was entitled to a Medal had received it. The method of making application for the Victory Medal in brief is, as follows: All officers and men should apply to the nearest post, camp, station or recruiting office for the prescribed forms on which applications for Victory Medals should be submitted. This may be done either in person or by mail, and the forms together with full instructions will be furnished him. If the man lives in a city where there is any Army Post, or a recruiting office, he should take his application, together with his original discharge papers to the post or recruiting office, where will be decided the class of medal and the number of battle clasps to which he is entitled, or if there is any question as to what the applicant is entitled to, the Military authorities will forward the application for further consideration. The original discharge papers will then be handed back to the man, and the Depot Officer of the Quartermaster Corps, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ordered to ship the medal direct to the applicant. Should the man not live in a town where there is a Post, Camp or Recruiting Station, he should submit his applications with the necessary supporting papers by mail to the Army Post or Recruiting Office nearest his home. The American Legion has kindly offered to assist in preparing applications. Each Legion Post has been or will be, on request, furnished the necessary forms and written instructions. It is urgently requested that applicants who do not live near an Army Post or Recruiting Office go to the nearest Legion Post and secure their assistance. Such assistance in many cases will be necessary because a TYPEWRITER MUST BE USED. The Legion Post after preparing the application will forward them to the Recruiting Office for approval. After a man has submitted his application to the nearest post or recruiting office, he need not communicate further, unless .he does not receive his medal within a reasonable time. To date, 17,500 Victory Medals have been issued to men for service in the United States, 266 for service in England, 0,569 for ice in France, 3 for service in Italy, 33 for service in Russia and 118 for service in Siberia. The above figures cover the medals issued without the battle clasps. Those which have been issued with one battle clasp number 4,094, with two battle clasps, 7,244, with three battle clasps, 6,695, with four battle clasps, 3,169,. with five battle clasps, 1,977, with six battle clasps, 149, with seven battle clasps, 16, with eight battle clasps, three, with nine battle clasps, 8, with ten bat-, tie clasps, 1, and with fourteen battle clasps, 1. The Battle Claspsare issued only to troops that participated in major operations. In the event that an Officer or enlisted man, who was entitied to this medal, was killed m action, or has since died, the medal will be issued to his nearest km, who should make application in the manner prescribed, stating the fact of death.