Military medal ribbons are small strips of colored fabric that represent military awards, decorations, and service. They allow service members to display authorized honors on certain uniforms without wearing full-sized medals.
Each ribbon has a distinctive pattern of colors and stripes associated with a particular award. Some ribbons represent campaign or service medals, while others recognize individual achievements, gallantry, or unit awards.
What Is a Military Ribbon Bar?
A ribbon bar is a mounting arrangement that holds military award ribbons in one or more rows.
On many American military uniforms, authorized ribbon bars are worn on the chest. Their placement and order follow the regulations of the relevant military service.
The order of precedence determines how ribbons are arranged. Decorations for valor, service medals, campaign awards, and other authorized ribbons each have designated positions within the system.
Importantly, not every ribbon represents a medal. Some military honors are issued as ribbon-only awards.
What Do Military Medal Ribbon Colors Mean?
The colors and patterns of military ribbons help identify particular awards.
A ribbon might represent participation in a military campaign, a period of service, an individual decoration, or recognition awarded to a military unit.
However, ribbon colors do not have one universal meaning across every military service or country. Each award has its own official design and eligibility requirements.
Additional devices, including stars and oak leaf clusters, may appear on certain ribbons to indicate qualifying campaigns, additional awards, or other distinctions.
Famous American Military Ribbons from World War II
Several military decorations and campaign awards are closely associated with American service during World War II.
The Purple Heart
The Purple Heart recognizes eligible service members wounded or killed as a result of enemy action. Its purple ribbon with white edges is one of America's most recognizable military decorations.
The Silver Star
The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action. Its ribbon features a distinctive arrangement of blue, white, and red stripes.
World War II Campaign Ribbons
Campaign ribbons, including those associated with the European-African-Middle Eastern and Asiatic-Pacific campaigns, recognize qualifying military service in specific theaters of war.
Together, military ribbons offer a visual record of awards and service, although they cannot reveal a person's complete military history by themselves.
Military Medal Ribbons as Original Artwork
Military ribbons also provide a distinctive subject for historical artwork.
Artist Laurence Kirwan explores the colors, proportions, and visual details of military decorations through original paintings.
His ribbon-inspired artwork brings attention to historical objects that can otherwise be overlooked. Each composition offers an opportunity to examine the relationship between military service, remembrance, and visual design.
The paintings shown here illustrate this artistic approach to military history. For a closer look at the artwork, explore Laurence Kirwan's US WWII Medal Ribbon Bar 1 art print, featuring the Pacific and European theater campaign ribbons.
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