Medal of Freedom (1945)

Medal of Freedom
Medal of Freedom
	Obverse and reverse of medal with palm device
Type	Medal
Awarded for	"A meritorious act or service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of a war against an enemy or enemies and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate"
Country	United States
Presented by	the Secretary of State, Secretary of War or Secretary of the Navy
Eligibility	Any person not a member of the armed forces of the United States
Status	Replaced 22 February 1963 by Presidential Medal of Freedom
Established	1945
First awarded	1945
Last awarded	1962
Total	Over 20,000
	Ribbon bar of the medal
Precedence
Next (higher)	Medal for Merit
Next (lower)	unspecified

The Medal of Freedom was a decoration established by President Harry S. Truman to honor civilians whose actions aided in the war efforts of the United States and its allies during and beyond World War II. It was intended to be awarded by the secretary of state, the secretary of war, or the secretary of the navy, but presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy also authorized awards.^[3] The first woman and American citizen to receive it was Anna M. Rosenberg by Robert P. Patterson on the recommendation of Eisenhower.^[4]^[5]

^ Kennedy, John F. (22 February 1963). "The Presidential Medal of Freedom". Executive Order 11085. United States Government. Retrieved 24 June 2015. The Medal of Freedom is hereby reestablished as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances.
^ "Journal of the Orders & Medals Society of America; Volume 14, Issue 1" (PDF). OSMA. January 1963. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. (24 June 1980). "Interview With the President Responses to Written Questions Submitted by the EFE Spanish News Agency". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
^ "Anna Rosenberg, first woman to receive Medal of Freedom". jwa.org. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
^ "Photo of Mrs. Anna Rosenberg being presented the Medal of Freedom by Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson". trumanlibrary.gov. Retrieved 20 October 2021.