Military decorations of the Cold War

Between 1947 and 1991, during the years of the Cold War, a large number of military awards and decorations were created by various nations to recognize the undeclared hostilities of the era. Military medals of the Vietnam War and the Korean War are the best known due to the extreme level of the conflicts.

The following is a list of military decorations of the Cold War based on the various time periods and specific nations involved.

Canada

 * Korea Medal.svg Korea Medal
 * CVSMK ribbon.png Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea
 * Special Service Medal Ribbon.png Special Service Medal

United States

 * Federal Service Medals
 * AFEMRib.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
 * Korea Defense Service ribbon.svg Korea Defense Service Medal
 * KSMRib.svg Korean Service Medal
 * Medal for Humane Action ribbon.svg Medal for Humane Action
 * National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg National Defense Service Medal
 * Vietnam Service Ribbon.svg Vietnam Service Medal


 * National Guard
 * LA Cold War Victory.jpg Cold War Victory Medal (Alaska & Louisiana only)

Republic of China

 * Awards and decorations of China

North Vietnam

 * Ho Chi Minh Order
 * Defeat American Aggression Badge
 * Vietnam Liberation Order

North Korea

 * Awards and decorations of North Korea

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

 * [[Image:Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg|80px]] South Korean Presidential Unit Citation
 * [[Image:Korean War Service Medal ribbon.png|80px]] Korean War Service Medal


 * Order of National Security Merit
 * Tong-il Security Medel Ribbon.png Tong-il Medal
 * Gugseon Security Medal Ribbon.png Gugseon Medal
 * Cheon-Su Security Medal Ribbon.png Cheon-Su Medal
 * Sam IL Security Medal Ribbon.png Sam-il Medal
 * Gwangbog Security Medal Ribbon.png Gwangbog Medal


 * Order of Military Merit
 * Taeguk Cordon Medal.png Taeguk Cordon Medal
 * Eulji Cordon Medal.png Eulji Cordon Medal
 * Chungmu Cordon Medal.png Chungmu Cordon Medal
 * Hwarang Cordon Medal.png Hwarang Cordon Medal
 * Inheon Cordon Medal.png Inheon Cordon Medal

East Germany
Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany

West Germany

 * Order of Merit
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 9 Sond des Grosskreuzes.svg Sonderstufe des Großkreuzes (Grand Cross special class)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 8 Grosskreuz bes Ausf.svg Großkreuz (Grand Cross 1st class, special design)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 7 Grosskreuz.svg Großkreuz (Grand Cross 1st class)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 6 GrVK Stern Band.svg Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern und Schulterband (Grand Cross with Star and Sash)
 * International equivalent: Großkreuz 2. Klasse (Grand Cross of Merit, Second class) or Großkomturkreuz (Grand Commander's Cross)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 5 GrVK Stern.svg Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern (Knight Commander's Cross or Grand Cross with Star)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 4 GrVK.svg Großes Verdienstkreuz (Halskreuz) (Commander's Cross or Grand Cross (Neck cross))
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 3 BVK 1Kl.svg Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (Officer's Cross)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 2 BVK.svg Verdienstkreuz am Bande (Cross) International equivalent: Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross)
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 1 BVM.svg Verdienstmedaille (Medal)

The President of the Federal Republic holds the Sonderstufe des Großkreuzes ex officio. It is awarded to him in a ceremony by the President of the Bundestag attended by the Chancellor, the President of the Bundesrat and the Supreme Court President. Other than the President of the Federal Republic, only a foreign head of state can be awarded with the highest class. There is also the provision of awarding the Großkreuz in a special rare design, in which the central medallion with the black eagle is surrounded by a stylized laurel wreath in relief. which has so far only been used twice: for Konrad Adenauer and for Helmut Kohl.

Soviet Union

 * Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Union

Inter-American Defense Board

 * Inter-american defense board medal ribbon.svg Inter-American Defense Board Medal

International Commission of Control and Supervision

 * ICSC Ribbon.png International Commission for Supervision and Control Medal; Indo-China, (1954–1974)
 * ICCS Ribbon.png International Commission of Control and Supervision Service Medal, Vietnam (1973)

United Nations

 * United Nations Service Medal for Korea Ribbon.svg United Nations Service Medal
 * United Nations Medal.svg United Nations Medal