[An extract from the ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO THE PRESIDENT WAR DEPARTMENT FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1923 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1923), pages 162-174]

Under the inhibition contained in the act of Congress approved April 7, 1922, no awards to members of the United States Army have been made since April 7, 1923, of the medal of honor, distinguished service medal, distinguished service cross, or oak-leaf cluster for services rendered during the World War period. Such of the following figures as pertain to awards of those decorations for World War service are therefore final.

Awards of the congressional medal of honor.—Prior to the entrance of the United States in the World War on April 6, 1917, the War Department had made 1,720 awards of the medal of honor, which with 2 awards approved by the department on April 17, 1917, for Civil War service, makes 1,722 awards of the medal of honor for most distinguished gallantry in action prior to the World War. This figure does not include 911 awards canceled by direction of the board of officers convened under the provisions of section 122

of the act of Congress approved June 3, 1916 (39 Stat. L. 214). No awards of this medal for service rendered prior to the World War were made during the last fiscal year.

From the beginning of the last fiscal year, July 1, 1922, to and including April 7, 1923, 10 medals of honor were awarded for World War service, making a total of 90 awards of this decoration to officers and enlisted men for individual acts of gallantry and intrepidity performed in the World War. These 90 awards were distributed among divisions and branches of service as follows:

First Division	4
Second Division	7
Third Division	2
Fifth Division	2
Twenty-sixth Division	2
Twenty-seventh Division	6
Twenty-eighth Division	2
Twenty-ninth Division	3
Thirtieth Division	12
Thirty-third Division	9
Thirty-fifth Division	2
Thirty-sixth Division	2
Thirty-seventh Division	1
Forty-second Division	5
Seventy-seventh Division	8
Seventy-eighth Division	2
Eighty-second Division	2
Eighty-ninth Division	9
Ninety-first Division	4
Ninety-third Division	1
Air Service Air Service	3
Tank Corps	2
Total	90

The medal of honor was bestowed by the President in the name of Congress on the unknown, unidentified Belgian soldier on November 3, 1922, and on the unknown, unidentified Rumanian soldier on May 15, 1923. Including these, there have been altogether six awards of the medal of honor to the unknown dead soldiers of the World War.

Awards of the distinguished-service medal.—From the beginning of the last fiscal year, July 1, 1922, to and including April 7, 1923, altogether 362 awards of the distinguished-service medal were made for distinguished services rendered during the World War. These, added to the 1,519 awards previously made, make a grand total of 1,881 awards for World War service. No awards of that medal were made during the fiscal year for distinguished services rendered prior to the World War, the total number of awards under this head remaining at 7. Nine distinguished-service medals were, however, issued during the last fiscal year to holders of the certificate of merit, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (40 Stat. L. 871), which, added to the 188 distinguished-service medals and 1 oak-leaf cluster previously issued to replace outstanding certificates of merit, make a total of 197 distinguished-service medals and 1 oak-leaf cluster issued for the purpose specified.

The 1,881 awards of the distinguished-service medal for World War service were to classes of individuals as follows:

In the following table the 1,881 awards of the distinguished-service medal for World War service are distributed among divisions, staff departments, etc.:

2. Includes 6 officers of the United States Marine Corps.

3. Includes 1 medical officer combating the influenza epidemic in the United States.

5. Includes 10 awards to members of welfare societies and 58 awards to officials on duty in, or connected with, offices or bureaus of the War Department and various other Government agencies.

NOTE.—In connection with the foregoing table, it should be stated that the classification of awards of the distinguished-service medal for World War service by divisions, branches of service, etc. presents difficulties because of the fact that in many instances the medal was awarded for services performed by the recipient in several capacities. As between branches of service and divisions, the award has been credited to the latter whenever possible; e. g., the total of 149 awards credited to the Medical Department does not include 26 awards of this medal to medical officers serving with divisions, these being credited instead to the divisions concerned.

Recapitulation of awards of the distinguished-service medal and oak-leaf cluster.
 

Awards of the distinguished-service cross.—From the beginning of the last fiscal year, July 1, 1922, to and including April 7, 1923, altogether 259 awards of the distinguished-service cross and 7 of the oak-leaf cluster (in lieu of an additional cross) were made for acts of heroism performed during the World War. These awards added to those heretofore made make a total of 6,041 distinguished-service crosses and 111 oak-leaf clusters awarded for acts of heroism in the World War.

During the fiscal year 6 distinguished-service crosses were awarded for acts of heroism performed prior to the World War, making a total of 26 awards of the cross for that purpose up to the close of the year.

The awards of the distinguished-service cross (6,041) and of the oak-leaf cluster (111) for heroism in the World War were distributed among divisions, staff departments, members of American welfare societies, and members of foreign armies, as follows:

2. See Note 3.

3. Enlisted men of the One hundred and forty-seventh and One hundred and forty-eighth Regiments of Field Artillery which were detached at the time of the performance of the heroic acts and attached to the Thirty-second Division.

4. Troops serving in northern Russia.

5. Officers attached to British forces.

As stated in the last annual report of this office, the distinguished-service cross has also been bestowed on the unknown, unidentified American soldier buried in the national cemetery at Arlington, Va.

Recapitulation of awards of the distinguished-service cross and oak-leaf cluster.
 

Awards of silver stars.—From the beginning of the last fiscal year, July 1, 1922, to and including April 7, 1923, the War Department awarded 337 silver-star citations in War Department general orders for gallantry in action during the World War. These, added to the 327 citations previously awarded by the Department, make a total of 664 awards of this decoration by the War Department for gallantry in action during the World War, of which 1 was to a soldier of the French Army, 2 to American civilians (1 a member of the Young Men's Christian Association and 1 a member of the American Red Cross), and the remaining 661 to United States Army officers and enlisted men. In addition, many persons have been awarded citations for gallantry in action in orders issued from the headquarters of brigades, divisions, army corps, and armies, each of which likewise carries with it the award of a citation star. These citations are of record in the War Department, but no compilation of their number

has yet been made. It is estimated, however, that there are more than 40,000 such citations.

During the fiscal Year the War Department also awarded 12 silver-star citations in War Department general orders for gallantry in action prior to the World War, making a total of 42 such awards to and including June 30, 1923.

Between July 9, 1918, the date of the approval of the act of Congress (40 Stat. L. 872) permitting members of the military forces of the United States serving in the World War to accept and wear certain foreign decorations, and the close of the last fiscal year, the various nations allied or associated with the United States during the World War awarded a total of 18,019 decorations to officers and enlisted men of the United States Army to members of American welfare organizations and to American civilians connected in some capacity with the allied armies or the several interallied commissions or who otherwise rendered meritorious services to the allied cause. The time limit prescribed in the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, within which such decorations could be accepted by members of the military establishment expired on July 1, 1922. The statistics of these decorations, however, are undergoing constant change and revision, because of cancellations, corrections, and discoveries as to decorations awarded within.the time limit but which had not previously been indexed. The latest figures on these 18,019 awards, classified by countries and specific decorations, are as follows:

Belgium:
 

China:
 

Italy:
 

Panama:
 

Foreign decorations bestowed on unknown, unidentified American soldier.—Following is a list of the decorations of foreign countries that were bestowed on the unknown, unidentified, American soldier who was buried in the national cemetery at Arlington, Va., on November 11, 1921:
 

Foreign decorations awarded to organizations of the United States Army.—The Portuguese Republic conferred the decoration of Cavalier of the Military Order of "Torre e Espada" (Tower and Sword) by presidential decree dated March 9, 1922, on the One hundred and seventh Infantry of the Twenty-seventh Division and

the One hundred and twentieth Infantry Regiment of the Thirtieth Division. The War Department accepted these decorations on behalf of the two organizations mentioned and caused the decorations to be presented to the colors of the organizations with formal ceremony.

No additional award of the French fourragère, or shoulder cord, was made to any organization of the Army during the past fiscal year.

Up to and including June 30, 1923, altogether 434 members or former members of the Army had been authorized to wear the French fourragère, or shoulder cord, as an individual decoration in the colors of the French Croix de Guerre (green and red) under existing regulations.

The following table shows the number of certificates furnished during the last fiscal year and the total number to July 1, 1923, for the issue of the several authorized service medals:

1. Medals actually issued.