"Proud to Claim the Title"
BATTLE
STREAMERS
FOR
THE
US MARINE CORPS BATTLE COLOR
Notes
The United States Marine Corps Battle Color carries a set of streamers to commemorate the battles, campaigns, service and unit citations of the Corps from 1775 to the present day. As of January 2002 there were 54 streamers authorized: 42 for battles, campaigns and service, and twelve for citations. Unlike the Navy, the Marine Corps displays streamers for citations received from the Department of Defense, the US Army and foreign governments. There are also two campaign streamers that were awarded by the Commonwealth of the Philippines prior to independence, and a streamer commemorating Philippine independence.
Battle streamers for the Civil War and subsequent wars and conflicts are in the colors of the ribbon of the campaign medal for award to individuals. (For earlier wars and conflicts, there are no corresponding campaign medals.) Unit citation streamers are in the colors of the service ribbon for wear by individuals of cited units. As applicable, bronze and silver stars are placed on streamers to denote battle, campaign or service credits. Each bronze star denotes one such credit, with a silver star being used in lieu of five bronze stars. The large number of credits earned for expeditionary service necessitates the use of three streamers to accommodate twelve silver and three bronze service stars, plus a silver "W" for the defense of Wake Island early in World War II. Two streamers are displayed for World War I service, and two are required to accommodate nine silver and two bronze stars for World War II Pacific service. Marine Corps streamer dimensions are 2 3/4 inches at the hoist by 3 feet on the fly.
Credit: The drawings on this page are based on information from Sea Flags, the outstanding web site maintained by FOTW Mailing List member Joseph McMillan.
United States Unit
Citations
Presidential
Unit Citation (Navy-Marine Corps-Coast Guard)
Presidential
Unit Citation (Army-Air Force)
Navy Unit
Commendation
Valorous Unit
Citation (Army)
Joint Services
Meritorious Unit
Commendation
Navy
Meritorious Unit
Commendation
Army
Meritorious Unit
Commendation
United States Battle, Campaign
& Service Streamers
Revolutionary
War (1775-83)
Quasi-War with
France (1798-1801)
Barbary Wars
(1801-05, 1815)
War of 1812
(1812-15)
African Slave
Trade Patrol (1820-61)
Operations
Against West Indian Pirates (1820-30)
Indian Wars
(1835-42)
Mexican War
(1846-48)
Civil War
(1861-65)
Expeditionary
Service (1874-)
Spanish-American
War (1898)
Philippine
Insurrection Campaign (1899-1906)
China Relief
Expedition (1900-01)
Cuba
Pacification
Campaign (1906-09)
Nicaraguan
Campaign (1912)
Mexican Service
(1914-17)
Haitian Service
(1915, 1919-20)
Dominican
Campaign (1916)
World War One
(1917-18)
Army of
Occupation of Germany
Second Nicaraguan
Campaign (1926-33)
Yangtze Service
(1926-27, 1930-32)
China Service
(1936-39, 1945-57)
American
Defense Service (1939-41)
World War Two
American Theater (1941-45)
World War Two
Pacific Theater (1941-45)
World War Two
European Theater (1941-45)
World War Two
Victory
Occupation
Service
Korean Service
(1950-53)
National
Defense Service (1951-75, 1990-95)
Armed Forces
Expeditionary Service (1958-)
Vietnam Service
(1962-73)
Southwest Asia
Service (1990-95)
Kosovo Campaign
(1999-)
Philippine
Commonwealth Campaign
& Service Streamers
Philippine
Defense Service (1941-42)
Philippine
Liberation Service (1944-45)
Philippine
Independence Award
Foreign Unit
Citations
French Croix d'Guerre
(World War One)
Philippine
Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of
Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of
Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Citation
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