The awards distribution can be very confusing. There are the awards for being in the campaign with no combat but support to the combat mission. The most confusing is caused by the military themselve by naming awards with the same names.

The most confusing for our family members and relatives of WWII veterans deals with the words “bronze star” in the awards section of military documents. Some wrongfully interpret it to mean the “Bronze Star Medal” . The key word is MEDAL which was awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement, or service, while serving in a combat zone on the ground and not involving aerial flight. But in the document the words often only read "four Bronze Stars may now be worn". With the lack of the word MEDAL, (the word MEDAL would always be present when mentioning the Bronze Star Medal) the words mean Bronze Stars for service. They are very small stars awarded for participating in a campaign.

It is a way to recognize the work the ground crew preforms in the support of a combat mission. There is also a considerable difference in the appearance of the awards. The star on the Bronze Star Medal is one inches in size while the Bronze Battle Star also known as Bronze Service Star is only 3/16 of an inch in size. The MEDAL has a ribbon and the other does not.

The Bronze Star medal was initially authorized by Executive Order No. 9419 on February 4, 1944, for those persons serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States on or after December 7, 1941. The medal, designed by the firm of Bailey, Banks and Biddle, is in the shape of a five-pointed star. Mounted in the center of the star is a smaller raised star. The Bronze Star medal is the fourth-highest individual military award, and the ninth-highest by order of precedence in the United States Military. A bronze “V” is awarded to the recipient of a Bronze Star Medal for acts of valor in combat.

Battle stars, sometimes referred to as campaign stars were awarded for service in two major areas during World War II, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater. For each major battle in either of these two geographical areas a Bronze Battle Star was awarded to those serving in the theater. When the number reaches five the four bronze stars were replaced by a silver star (not to be confused with the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in battle against the enemy). For more than five battles additional bronze stars are issued until the number reaches ten when you again replace the four bronze stars with a silver star, thus the recipient would wear two silver stars on his medal and ribbon.

The battle stars are also worn on the accompanying ribbon worn on the Class A uniform. Battle stars were awarded for the following campaigns in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater:

01. Egypt-Libya 11 Jun 1942 12 Feb 1943
02. Air Offensive, Europe 4 Jul 1942 - 5 Jun 1944
03. Algeria-French Morocco 8-11 Nov 1942
04. Tunisia 12 Nov 42 - 13 May 1943
05. Sicily 14 May 43 - 17 Aug 43
06. Naples-Foggia 18 Aug 43 - 21 Jan 1944
07. Anzio 22 Jan 44 - 24 May 44
08. Rome-Arno 22 Jan 44 - 9 Sep 44
09. Normandy 6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44
10. Northern France 25 Jul 44 -14 Sep 1944
11. Southern France 15 Aug 44 -14 Sep 44
12. Northern Apennines 10 Sep 44 - 4 Apr 45
13. Rhineland 15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45
14. Ardennes-Alsace 16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45
15. Central Europe 22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45
16. Po Valley 5 Apr 45 - 8 May 45
17. Antisubmarine 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45
18. Ground Combat 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 4
19. Air Combat 7 Oct 41 - 2 Sep 45

Battle stars were awarded for the following campaigns in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:

01. Philippine Islands 7 Dec 41 - 10 May 42
02. Burma 7 Dec 41 - 26 May 4
03. Central Pacific 7 Dec 41 - 6 Dec 43
04. East Indies 1 January - 22 Jul 42
05. India-Burma 2 Apr 42 - 28 Jan 45
06. Air Offensive, Japan 17 Apr 42 - 2 Sep 45
07. Aleutian Islands 3 Jun 42 - 24 Aug 43
08. China Defensive 4 Jul 42 - 4 May 45
09. Papua 23 Jul 42 - 23 Jan 43
10. Guadalcanal 7 Aug 42 - 21 Feb 43
11. New Guinea 24 Jan 43 - 31 Dec 44
12. Northern Solomons 22 Feb 43 - 21 Nov 44
13. Eastern Mandates 31 Jan - 14 Jun 44
14. Bismarck Archipelago 15 Dec 43 - 27 Nov 44
15. Western Pacific 15 Jun 44 - 2 Sep 45
16. Leyte 17 Oct 44 - 1 Jul 45
17. Luzon 15 Dec 44 - 4 Jul 45
18. Central Burma 29 Jan - 15 Jul 45
19. Southern Philippines 27 Feb - 4 Jul 45
20. Ryukyus 26 Mar - 2 Jul 45
21. China Offensive 5 May - 2 Sep 45

The second and subsequent awards of medals, such as the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, as examples, are in the form of bronze or silver oak leaf clusters rather than stars.

Note the bronze oak leaf cluster on the adjacent Bronze Star Medal. If a recipient has received five awards the four bronze oak leaves are replaced by a single silver oak leaf cluster which represents five awards.

So how were the pilots in the AAF recognized for their heroics and meritorious actions in aerial flight?

In a letter from the Secretary of War to the Director, Bureau of Budget, dated 9 March 1942, the Secretary submitted a proposed executive order establishing the Air Medal for award to any person who, while serving in any capacity of the Army of the United States, distinguishes himself by meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight.

The Air Medal was the Army Air Forces equivalent of the Army’s Bronze Star Medal.

It is awarded to U.S. military and civilian personnel for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievements while participating in aerial flight and foreign military personnel in actual combat in support of operations. Required achievement is less than that required for the Distinguished Flying Cross, but must be accomplished with distinction above and beyond that expected of professional airmen.