Navy Commendation Star

The Navy Commendation Star or Navy Letter of Commendation Star was a Department of the Navy service device which was authorized in 1918 to be "placed" on the World War I Victory Medal. The Navy Commendation Star was issued to any service member of the Navy and Marine Corps who had been cited and commended by the Secretary of the Navy. Among the recipients of the Commendation Star was future Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

The Navy Commendation Star was a 3/16" silver star which was placed on the service and suspension ribbon of the World War I Victory Medal, above all battle clasps. When worn as a ribbon on a military uniform, the Navy Commendation Star was placed before all service stars. The Navy Commendation Star was identical to the United States Army Citation Star which was worn on the World War I Victory Medal to denote a soldier or a Marine (attached to the Second Division) was cited for gallantry in action and awarded a citation. Unlike the Citation Star, however, the Navy Commendation Star could not be converted to the Silver Star Medal (1932).

At the start of the Second World War, the Navy Commendation Star was declared obsolete and none were issued between 1941 and 1945. In the 1950s, the Department of the Navy began accepting applications from eligible World War I veterans authorized a Navy Commendation Star in order to be issued the Navy Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant and the Navy Commendation Medal (Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, 1994) starting in 1960.