Merchant_Marine_Pacific_War_Zone_Medal Knowpia

Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Medal (Bar)
Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Medal (Bar)
	Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Medal obverse (left) and reverse
Type	Individual Award
Awarded for	Service in the Pacific War Zone.
Presented by	United States Maritime Administration
Eligibility	Merchant Marine seamen.
Campaign(s)	Second World War
Established	May 10, 1944
Total	177,926
	Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Bar
Precedence
Next (higher)	Merchant Marine Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Medal
Next (lower)	Merchant Marine World War II Victory Medal

The Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Medal (Bar) is a decoration of the United States Merchant Marine established by an Act of Congress on May 10, 1944.

Conditions edit

The decoration is awarded to officers and men of ships operated by the War Shipping Administration for service in the Pacific War Zone between December 7, 1941, to March 2, 1946. This theatre of operations comprised the North Pacific, South Pacific, and the Indian Ocean east of 80 degrees east longitude.

Design edit

Prior to 1992, the Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Medal was a ribbon-only decoration; otherwise known as the Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Bar.

On May 19, 1992, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the availability of new medals for civilian merchant seamen, in recognition of their service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The medals are being issued to supplement war zone ribbon bars previously awarded to civilian mariners who supported the nation's armed forces in these wars.^[1]

The new medal design consists of:

The trident, a symbol of naval prowess, rests upon a shaft of bamboo denoting the Pacific theatre of operations. The sea seascape suggests maritime activities and service^[1]