- Established
- 1942
- Awarded by
- All services
- Criteria
- Exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.
- Precedence
- #10 of 18 in this guide · below Defense Superior Service Medal · above Distinguished Flying Cross
The only U.S. military decoration issued in degrees — Chief Commander, Commander, Officer and Legionnaire. The higher degrees are reserved for foreign heads of state and senior foreign military leaders; U.S. personnel receive the Legionnaire degree.
From Wikipedia
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.
Excerpt from “Legion of Merit” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable recipients
- Narendra Modi1950
- Shinzō Abe1954–2022
- Park Chung-hee1917–1979 · Korean War
- Ibn Saud1876–1953
- Scott Morrison1968
- Bernard Montgomery1887–1976 · World War I
- Grace Hopper1906–1992 · World War II
- Frank Capra1897–1991 · World War I
- Dr. Seuss1904–1991 · World War II
- Hamad II of Bahrain1950
- Constantine II of Greece1940–2023
- Sunita Williams1965
- Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah1929–2020
- David Niven1910–1983 · World War II
- Juliana of the Netherlands1909–2004
Images: medal (Public domain); ribbon (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.
