Legislation
Public Law 78-52
78th Congress
AN ACT
To provide for the issuance of devices in recognition of the services of merchant sailors [H. R. 2281]
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Administrator, War Shipping Administration, is hereby authorized to provide and issue
(a) a seamen’s service insignia of appropriate design to any person who, at any time during the period (hereinafter referred to as the war period) beginning December 7, 1941, and ending with the termination of the present war, serves on any vessel in the American merchant marine, and
(b) a seamen’s war zone insignia or device of appropriate design to any person who, at any time during the war period, serves on any vessel in the American merchant marine while sailing in any war or combat zone.
SEC. 2. The Administrator is authorized to provide and issue a seamen’s honor bar to any person who, at any time during the war period, serves on any vessel in the American merchant marine which, at the time of such service, is attacked or damaged by an instrumentality of war. The Administrator is further authorized to provide and issue a star (to be attached to such bar) to any such person who is forced to abandon such vessel when so attacked or damaged, with an additional star for each such abandonment.
SEC. 3. The Administrator is authorized to provide and award a medal of appropriate design and a ribbon, together with a rosette or other device to be worn in lieu thereof, to any person, who while serving on any vessel in the American merchant marine during the war period, is wounded, suffers physical injury, or suffers through dangerous exposure as a result of an act of an enemy of the United States.
SEC. 4. The Administrator shall prescribe appropriate conditions of eligibility for the issuance or award of insignia or medals under this Act. Not more than one insignia or medal of each type provided herein shall be issued or awarded to any one person, but. for each succeeding service of any person sufficient to justify the award of a medal under section 3 of this Act, the Administrator may award a suitable bar, emblem, or insignia to be worn with the medal. In case any person who performs service sufficient to justify the award of a medal under section 3 dies before the award can be made to him, the award may be made and the medal presented to such representative of the deceased as the Administrator deems proper. No award of any insignia, medal, or device shall be made hereunder after two years after the termination of the present war.
SEC. 5. The Administrator is authorized to approve a design for a seamen’s service flag which may be displayed, and a design for a service lapel button which may be worn, by members of the immediate family, of a person serving in the American merchant marine during the war period. In approving any design under this section, the Administrator may approve the design approved by the Secretary of War under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved October 17, 1942 (Public Law 750, Seventy-seventh Congress), but only if the Secretary of War shall consent thereto and the Administrator shall approve for use in connection therewith a distinctive insignia or other device designating service in the American merchant marine. The Administrator, upon approval of the design for such service flag and service lapel button, shall cause notice of such approval and a description of the flag and button to be published in the Federal Register.
SEC. 6. (a) The Administrator is authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as may be appropriate to carry out the provisions of this Act.
(b) The Administrator is authorized to expend out of any funds available for expenditure by the War Shipping Administration such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Approved May 10, 1943
Further legislation determined that the award’s eligibility period was from 7 December 1941 to 25 July 1947.