Talk:Navy Occupation Service Medal

Date of Establishment?
When was this award established? SECNAVINST 1650.1H gives authorization as "Navy Department General Order No. 10 of 28 January 1948". Kerrigan says it was authorized on Jan 22, 1947. The article's infobox currently say's 1946, but gives no source (I believe that's the date of the Army of Occupation Medal's establishment). I'm going to remove the 1946 bit for now. It's possible one date was when the award was created, and a later date is when the details and award criteria were hammered out, but I don't know which is which. Gecko G (talk) 01:49, 8 June 2014 (UTC)
 * It appears that the difference of dates comes from whether the medal was established by ALNAV 25 of 22 Jan. 1947 or Navy Department General Order No. 255 of 28 Jan. 1948.. EricSerge (talk) 14:44, 8 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Very interesting, NDGO 10 & NDGO 255 can't possibly have the same date. Looking into it, while I haven't been able to find the actual NDGO's, it seems there is a misteak in SECNAVINST 1650.1 as everyother source has it as ALNAV 25 & NDGO 255- ie NAVPERS 15,790 from 1953 or DoD Manual of Military Decorations & Awards 1348.33-M (from July 1990) (though it misteakenly gives it as Number 24 not 25 - interestingly the newer version doesn't name the authorization, it just gives the date).  In any event, the 1946 bit was definately a misteak.
 * Most informatively, I managed to find All Hands March 1947 page 40 has it as Alnav 25-47 (NDB, 31 January). While I don't know what NDB is for, The Alnav emphasized that "regulations governing the award relative to areas, organizations, units and ships will be promulgated in a Navy Department General Order now being prepared" (thus the 1948 NDGO).  Also page 63 of that summarises that [ALNAV] No. 25 "Announces Navy Occupation Service Medal".  Then All Hands March 1948 pages 46–47 confirms it as NDGO 255.
 * So it is NDGO No. 255 not No. 10. It was authorized by ALNAV 25 of 22 Jan. 1947 and the criteria was laid out in NDGO 255 of 28 Jan. 1948.  Thanks, Gecko G (talk) 17:48, 8 June 2014 (UTC)