5 Responses to “What’s On The Back Of A Usmc Good Conduct Medal?”

1. «1 MT responded on August 30th, 2009:

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   The Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1896 and was originally a ribbon and medal suspensed from a clasp bearing the words “U.S. Marine Corps”.
   The clasp was eliminated after 1935 and the medal has remained unchanged in appearance since that time.
   Enlistment bars, showing each honorable period of service, were used until 1953 when the Marine Corps adopted service stars to denote additional awards of the Good Conduct Medal.
   Description and Symbolism
   Obverse
   In the center of a bronze medallion one and a quarter inches in diameter, a Marine gunner is depicted serving a naval gun. This scene is encircled within a rope, and beneath it is a scroll bearing the motto SEMPER FIDELIS. Encircling the rope are the words UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. The whole scene rests upon a foul anchor with its crown tilted to the right. The encircling anchor chain is within the raised rim of the medal. The medal is suspended from a bolt action rifle.
   The general theme of the design is taken from the Navy Good Conduct Medal, modified to make it more appropriate for the Marine Corps. Thus, the Constitution in the Navy Medal is replaced by a Marine is dressed in the period of the Civil War; his servicing a naval gun alludes to the role played by Marines aboard warships. The motto SEMPER FIDELIS (Always Faithful) is the official motto of the Marine Corps. The rifle suspender is the Lee Navy rifle, a high velocity magazine fed bolt action rifle that used .236 ammunition. The rope, anchor, and chain are nautical symbols that refer to naval service.
   Reverse
   In the center of a bronze medallion one and a quarter inches in diameter, there is a blank space for the engraving of the recipient’s name. Around the inside rim of the medal, the words FIDELITY (on the left); OBEDIENCE (on the right), and ZEAL (at the bottom).

2. «2 jack_98 responded on August 30th, 2009:

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   “made in China”

3. «3 Ghost Semp responded on August 30th, 2009:

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   I can find any of mine.

4. «4 chrls_ba responded on August 30th, 2009:

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   LOL
   PAGE 11
   IS BAD CONDUCT
   LOL!

5. «5 Jubal S responded on August 30th, 2009:

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   Mine says “Page 11″

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at 1:37 am and is filed under USMC Medals and Awards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.