United States. A Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Cased

Fullsize in bronze gilt with navy blue and white enamels, measuring 33 mm (w) x 55.5 mm (h) inclusive of its anchor bearing star and laterally-pierced ball suspension, original ribbon with brooch pinback; and Miniature in bronze gilt with navy blue and white enamels, measuring 16 mm (w) x 27 mm (h) inclusive of its anchor bearing star and laterally-pierced ball suspension, original ribbon with push pin. Extremely fine. Accompanied by its 35.5 mm (w) x 10 mm ribbon bar with dual push pins and its 16.5 mm (w) x 3.5 mm (h) enameled ribbon bar with push pin, in its hardshelled case of issue, marked "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" on the lid, the medal bed exhibiting sunning and scattered spotting, case near extremely fine.

Footnote: The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. At the start of the First World War, the Navy had the Medal of Honor as the only decoration with which to recognize heroism. To recognize acts deserving recognition, but at a level below that required for the Medal of Honor, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Cross were created by Public Law 253 on February 4, 1919. The law made the award retroactive to April 6, 1917. The first award of the decoration was a posthumous presentation to Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, USMC, on March 13, 1919. The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is bestowed upon members of the Navy or Marine Corps who distinguish themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the United States government in a duty of great responsibility. To justify this decoration, exceptional performance of duty must be clearly above that normally expected, and contributes to the success of a major command or project. Generally, the Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to officers in principal commands at sea, or in the field, whose service is of a manner to justify the award. However, this does not preclude the award of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to any individual who meets the service requirements. The term "great responsibility" implies senior military responsibility, and the decoration is normally only bestowed to senior Navy flag officers and Marine Corps general officers, or extremely senior enlisted positions such as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy or the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. In rare instances, it has also been awarded to Navy captains and Marine Corps colonels, typically those in positions of significant responsibility in direct support of senior flag and general officers, and then only by exception (usually at retirement). The award is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. The Navy Distinguished Service Medal was originally senior to the Navy Cross, until August 7, 1942, when the precedence of the two decorations was reversed. Currently, it is worn after the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and before the Silver Star Medal.