European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had performed military duty in the European Theater (to include North Africa and the Middle East) during the years of the Second World War. Colored bands representing Germany (on the ribbon's left side), Italy (on the ribbon's right side), and the United States (in the center of the ribbon) are visible in the ribbon. The brown and green areas of the ribbon represent the terrain of the area of conflict, which ranged from beaches and sand, to grass and woodlands, to mountains.

Originally known as the “EAME Ribbon”, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is awarded for any service performed between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946 provided such service was performed in the geographical theater areas of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. For those service members who participated in one or more military campaigns, Service stars are authorized to be worn on the medal. The Arrowhead device is also authorized to be worn on the medal for those who participated in airborne or amphibious assault landings; the Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia is also authorized for wear on the medal for sailors attached to the Marine Corps.

The following military campaigns are recognized by service stars to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.


 * Egypt-Libya: June 11, 1942 – February 12, 1943
 * Air Offensive, Europe: July 4, 1942 – June 5, 1944
 * Algeria-French Morocco: November 8–11, 1942
 * Tunisia: November 12, 1942 – May 13, 1943
 * Sicily: May 14, 1943 – August 17, 1943
 * Naples-Foggia: August 18, 1943 – January 21, 1944
 * Anzio: January 22, 1944 – May 24, 1944
 * Rome-Arno: January 22, 1944 – September 9, 1944
 * Normandy: June 6, 1944 – July 24, 1944
 * Northern France: July 25, 1944 – September 14, 1944
 * Southern France: August 15, 1944 – September 14, 1944
 * Northern Apennines: September 10, 1944 – April 4, 1945
 * Rhineland: September 15, 1944 – March 21, 1945
 * Ardennes-Alsace: December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945
 * Central Europe: March 22, 1945 – May 11, 1945
 * Po Valley: April 5, 1945 – May 8, 1945

For those service members who did not participate in a designated battle campaign, the following "blanket campaigns" are authorized to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, denoted by service stars


 * Antisubmarine: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
 * Ground Combat: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
 * Air Combat: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945

The Pacific Theater counterpart to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was awarded as a service ribbon throughout the entire Second World War and it was not until 1947 that a full sized medal was authorized. The medal was designed by Thomas Hudson Jones. The reverse side was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman and is the same design as used on the reverse of the Asiatic-Pacific and American Campaign Medals. The first recipient of the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower who was presented the medal in recognition of his service as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II.