legion of merit (usa)

LEGION OF MERIT
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that 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.

The Legion of Merit (Commander degree) is one of only two United States military decorations to be issued as a neck order (the other being the Medal of Honor), and the only United States military decoration that may be issued in degrees (much like an order of chivalry or certain Orders of Merit), although the degrees including a neck ribbon are only awarded to non-U.S. nationals.

The Legion of Merit is seventh in the order of precedence of all U.S. military awards and is worn after the Defense Superior Service Medal and before the Distinguished Flying Cross.[8] In contemporary use in the U.S. Armed Forces, the Legion of Merit is typically awarded to Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force general officers and colonels, and Navy and Coast Guard flag officers and captains occupying senior command or very senior staff positions in their respective services. It may also be awarded to officers of lesser rank, senior warrant officers (typically in command positions at the rank of chief warrant officer 5), and to very senior enlisted personnel (typically in the rank of command sergeant major and sergeant major of the Army in the Army, fleet master chief petty officer and master chief petty officer of the Navy in the Navy, command chief master sergeant and chief master sergeant of the Air Force in the Air Force, command chief master sergeant and senior enlisted advisor of the Space Force in the Space Force, and sergeant major of the Marine Corps in the Marine Corps), but these instances are less frequent, typically by exception, and the circumstances vary by branch of service.
  1. GREEN BERETS Heinz, Roger William

    SURNAME Heinz FORENAME Roger William UNIT 5 SF Group (HQ and HQ Company - Chaplain) RANK Major NUMBER 481320462 AWARD Legion of Merit,Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster,Air Medal,Army Commendation Medal PLACE South Vietnam 1969 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION KIA - see Roll of Honour
  2. GREEN BERETS Gore, Calvin Thomas

    SURNAME Gore FORENAME Calvin Thomas UNIT 5 SF Group (MACV-SOG) RANK Major NUMBER 260540720 AWARD Legion of Merit,Bronze Star with 2 oak leaf clusters,Air Medal,Army Commendation Medal PLACE South Vietnam ADDITIONAL INFORMATION killed 1972 - see Roll of Honour
  3. GREEN BERETS Hurley, Patrick R.

    SURNAME Hurley FORENAME Patrick R. UNIT 1 SF Operational Detachment - Delta RANK Sergeant Major NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit,Bronze Star with V PLACE Persian Gulf 1991 (Op.Desert Storm) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION killed - see Roll of Honour
  4. US PARAS Emmons, Douglas Taylor

    SURNAMEEmmons FORENAMEDouglas Taylor UNIT517 Parachute Infantry Regiment RANKSergeant + Master Sergeant NUMBER AWARDLegion of Merit,Bronze Star PLACEEurope ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONBronze Star as Sgt born 17.12.1910 died 10.5.1986 Houston National Cemetery,Houston,Texas Section J Site 509
  5. US PARAS Graves, Rupert D.

    SURNAME Graves FORENAME Rupert D. UNIT 517 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Commanding Officer) RANK Colonel NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit,Silver Star,Bronze Star,Croix de Guerre avec palme (Fr) PLACE Europe ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 25.10.1901 died 16.10.1996 Shepherd...
  6. US PARAS Zais, Melvin

    SURNAME Zais FORENAME Melvin UNIT 517 Parachute Infantry Regiment (C.O. 3 Bn and Regimental XO) RANK Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit,Silver Star,Bronze Star,Croix de Guerre avec palme (Fr) PLACE Europe ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 8.5.1916 Fall...
  7. US PARAS Haugen, Orin Doughty

    SURNAME Haugen FORENAME Orin Doughty UNIT 511 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Commanding Officer) RANK Colonel NUMBER 0-018254 AWARD Silver Star,Legion of Merit,Air Medal PLACE Philippines 1945 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DOW - see Roll of Honour
  8. RANGERS Darby, William Orlando

    SURNAME Darby FORENAME William Orlando UNIT 1 Ranger Bn (C.O.) RANK Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER 0-19133 AWARD Distinguished Service Cross with oak leaf cluster, Silver Star, Legion of Merit PLACE North Africa 1943 (DSC+SS) Sicily 1943 (DSC) WW2 (LOM) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
  9. FRANCE Bigeard, Marcel

    SURNAME Bigeard FORENAME Marcel UNIT SOE RANK Sous Lieutenant NUMBER AWARD Distinguished Service Order (GB),Croix de Guerre (Fr),Medaille de la Resistance (Fr),Legion of Merit - Commander (US) PLACE France 1944 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 14.2.1916...
  10. PHANTOM Allen, Frank William Alexander

    SURNAME Allen FORENAME Frank William Alexander UNIT 2 GHQ Liaison Regiment,C.M. (Phantom) RANK Major NUMBER 214520 AWARD Legion of Merit (Degree of Legionnaire) (US) PLACE 1st June - 18th August 1943, Sicily ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 1.5.1910 Waterloo, Liverpool 09.11.1937...
  11. JEDBURGH Manierre, Cyrus Edson, Jr.

    SURNAME Manierre FORENAME Cyrus Edson, Jr. UNIT OSS Jedburgh Team Dodge RANK Major NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit, Bronze Star PLACE France 1944 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 30.08.1919 Chicago, Illinois, USA son of Cyrus Edson (1892-1978) and Edith Ogden (nee Harrision)...
  12. OSS Manierre, Cyrus Edson, Jr.

    SURNAME Manierre FORENAME Cyrus Edson, Jr. UNIT OSS Jedburgh Team Dodge RANK Major NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit, Bronze Star PLACE France 1944 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 30.08.1919 Chicago, Illinois, USA son of Cyrus Edson (1892-1978) and Edith Ogden (nee Harrision)...
  13. OSS Dolan, Patrick

    SURNAME Dolan FORENAME Patrick UNIT OSS Morale Ops Branch RANK Major NUMBER AWARD Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Croix de Guerre (Fr) PLACE France 1944 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 14.08.1911 Waterford, Ireland (Louis Edward Patrick Nolan) family moved to Chicago US Citizen...
  14. OSS Cummings, William H. (Bill)

    SURNAME Cummings FORENAME William H. (Bill) UNIT OSS Detachment 101 RANK Major NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal PLACE Far East ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born Burma missionary, Pyinmana Agricultural School, Burma OSS father of Carol and Bruce Cummings died...
  15. OSS Bird, Willis H.

    SURNAME Bird FORENAME Willis H. UNIT Head of OSS South East Asia RANK Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit, Soldiers Medal PLACE Thailand ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 30.5.1909 founded Bangkok Stock Exchange Florence (first wife), 1 daughter, Barbara, (1935-2022)...
  16. GREEN BERETS Deeks, Robert H.,Jr

    SURNAME Deeks FORENAME Robert H.,Jr UNIT 5 SF Group (Det A-562,2 Bn) RANK Sergeant First Class NUMBER AWARD Legion of Merit PLACE Somalia 1993 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION KIA - see Roll of Honour
  17. AIR COMMANDO 2 Zehnder, Herbert R.

    SURNAME Zehnder FORENAME Herbert R. UNIT Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Training Center,Eglin AFB RANK Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER AWARD Silver Star, Legion of Merit x 2, Distinguished Flying Cross PLACE North Vietnam 1970 (Son Tay) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION pilot born 10.5.1924...
  18. AIR COMMANDO 2 Allison, John V.

    SURNAME Allison FORENAME John V. UNIT Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Training Center, Eglin AFB RANK Lieutenant Colonel NUMBER 0-28301 AWARD Air Force Cross, 3 x Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit PLACE North Vietnam 1970 (Son Tay) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born...
  19. GREEN BERETS Blackburn, Donald D.

    SURNAME Blackburn FORENAME Donald D. UNIT SF RANK Lieutenant Colonel + Brigadier General NUMBER AWARD Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, Air Medal PLACE South Vietnam ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 14.9.1916 West Palm Beach,Florida grew up...
  20. COASTWATCHERS Clemens, Warren Frederick Martin

    SURNAME Clemens FORENAME Warren Frederick Martin UNIT Coastwatcher,Solomon Islands RANK Major NUMBER AWARD Military Cross,Legion of Merit (US) PLACE Solomon Islands 1942-43 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 17.4.1915 Aberdeen,Scotland son of Warren and Blanche Clemens educated...
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