Author: Jessica A. Bandel
In November 1920, the State of North Carolina began honoring their World War I veterans with this custom-designed World War Service Medal. All soldiers, sailors, and marines who were in the service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and had received an honorable discharge—more than eighty thousand, all told—were entitled to one.
The prospective recipients were also required to be either native-born or to have resided in the state for not less than three months prior to their entry into the service. Cadets studying at the military or naval academies were also eligible, provided that they gave North Carolina as their state of residence. North Carolina service members who were living outside the state could also receive a medal by mailing a certified copy of their discharge certificate and an application form to the Adjutant General’s office. In-state applicants applied through their local Red Cross office.
Public interest in the medals and any related records has increased in recent years. Though the Adjutant General’s office required Red Cross officials to submit duplicates of the application forms to their office, little trace of the program can be found here in the state archives. A diligent search of the Adjutant General’s records and in the office’s annual reports turned up not a single shred of information on the program. But it doesn’t mean that we’re giving up! Check back with this post from time to time for updates as we continue our search for an answer to this mystery.