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A Wound Chevron was a badge of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
,
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
and
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...
which was authorized for wear on uniforms between the years of 1918 and 1932. The Wound Chevron was a gold metallic-thread chevron on an Olive Drab backing displayed on the lower right cuff of a US military uniform. It denoted wounds which were received in combat against an enemy force or hospitalization following a gassing. {{Infobox military award , name=Army Wound Ribbon , image=Army Wound Ribbon.svg , image_size=125px , caption=Army Wound Ribbon , presenter=
Department of War War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence {{u ...
, type=Ribbon , eligibility= , status=Obsolete , firstawarded= , lastawarded= , total_awarded= , total_awarded_posthumously= , total_recipients= , individual= , higher= , same= , image2= , caption2= The original Army Wound Ribbon was created on September 6, 1917, to recognize those soldiers who had received combat wounds during World War I. The Wound Ribbon was established by Secretary of War
Newton D. Baker Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (December 3, 1871 – December 25, 1937) was an American lawyer, Georgist,Noble, Ransom E. "Henry George and the Progressive Movement." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1949, pp. 259–269. ...
on September 6, 1917, and implemented by Paragraph XI-1 of War Department General Orders Number 134 of October 12, 1917. However, it was rescinded by Paragraph 1(d) of War Department General Orders Number 6 of January 12, 1918, which replaced it with wound chevrons. The Wound Chevron was a replacement insignia for the short-lived Army Wound Ribbon of 1917 and was issued to all three branches of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps personnel who had been wounded in combat. In 1932, with the creation of the
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
, Wound Chevrons were no longer awarded. A directive of the
United States War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...
and United States Navy Department permitted soldiers to exchange wound chevrons for the new Purple Heart medal. This was not required, however, and some Army personnel elected to retain wound chevrons for wear on their uniforms instead of the Purple Heart. For those who were subsequently wounded, both the original wound chevrons and the Purple Heart medal were worn simultaneously. It is historically agreed that regulations did not permit wearing both the Purple Heart and the Wound Chevron at the same time; however, photographic evidence indicates that this was often done by veterans of both the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighti ...
and Second World War. Its wear on the uniform was abolished in 1953, as the
Overseas Service Bar An Overseas Service Bar is an insignia worn by United States Army soldiers on the Army Service Uniform, and previously on the Army Green (Class A) and the Army Blue (Dress Blue) uniforms, that indicates the recipient has served six months overseas ...
s were moved there. In the modern military, the Wound Chevron is considered obsolete. The decoration is very similar to the Overseas Chevron, which in World War I was worn on the left sleeve.


References

* Paragraph XI-1 of War Department General Orders Number 13


See also

*
Wound stripe A wound stripe is a distinction of dress bestowed on soldiers wounded in combat. It was typically worn on military uniform jackets. France In the French Army, the wound chevron or '' Insigne des blessés militaires'', was awarded beginning in 19 ...
*
Overseas Service Bar An Overseas Service Bar is an insignia worn by United States Army soldiers on the Army Service Uniform, and previously on the Army Green (Class A) and the Army Blue (Dress Blue) uniforms, that indicates the recipient has served six months overseas ...
*
Military badges of the United States Military badges of the United States are awards authorized by the United States Armed Forces that signify rating, qualification, or accomplishment in several career fields, and also serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain a ...
*
List of wound decorations This list of wound decorations is an index of articles that describe notable awards given for wounds; usually, though not exclusively, to military personnel during wartime. See also * Lists of awards * List of military decorations * Wound st ...
United States military badges Wound decorations