Vasa Medal ( sv, Vasamedaljen, VGM/SM) Is a Swedish medal, awarded for general civil virtues. It was established by King

Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norwe ...

in 1895. It was given in gold and silver in 8th and 5th sizes. It ceased to be awarded in 1974.

Torsten Stålnacke Torsten Emanuel Stålnacke (31 December 1933 – 4 August 2012) was a former Swedish United Nations soldier and Swedish Army '' överfurir'', mostly known for his actions during the Congo Crisis in 1961. Early life Stålnacke was born in Svappa ...

and

Stig von Bayer Stig Erik Otto von Bayer (born 6 July 1937) is a former Swedish Army officer, war veteran, peacemaker and writer. He was the longest serving UN soldier during the Congo Crisis. Early life Stig von Bayer came to Belgian Congo, Congo and the pro ...

and nine other Swedish soldiers was awarded the Vasa Medal between 1962 and 1964 for their services during the

Congo Crisis The Congo Crisis (french: Crise congolaise, link=no) was a period of political upheaval and conflict between 1960 and 1965 in the Republic of the Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The crisis began almost immediately after ...

. Stålnacke was nominated for ''

För tapperhet i fält För tapperhet i fält ("For Valour in the Field") and För tapperhet till sjöss ("For Valour at Sea") are two Swedish military medals awarded to officers and soldiers of the Swedish Armed Forces who have—as the medal names suggest&mdash ...

'', but the general understanding was that this was not suitable for a medal whose statutes spoke of "fight against the enemies of the kingdom". When the "Swedish war decorations" (''Svenska krigsdekorationer'') were investigated in 1944 and 1951, the idea that Swedish soldiers would experience war situations without the kingdom formally being in a state of war was not widespread. The result was that the 11 soldiers who distinguished themselves by acts of valor received the Vasa Medal. Those who "only" were wounded got nothing. It was not considered with the times to publicly honor such sacrifices. = Medal = The medal shows a royal crown without the king´s picture. It is worn on the green ribbon of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...

. It carries the cross of the Order of Vasa. The reverse displays a globe coated with the

Three Crowns Three Crowns ( sv, tre kronor, links=no) is the national emblem of Sweden, present in the coat of arms of Sweden, and composed of three yellow or Gilding, gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background. Similar de ...

of the

coat of arms of Sweden The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges riksvapen) has a greater and a lesser version. Regulated usage The usage of the coats of arms is regulated by Swedish Law, Swedish Code of Statutes, Act]1970:498 which states (in unoffi ...

. File:Vasamedaljen MK 526.jpg, Vasa Medal, gold, 8th size. Engraver:

Erik Lindberg Erik Lindberg (31 December 1873 – 28 September 1966) was a Swedish sculptor and engraver. He was best known for designing the Nobel Prize medals. Biography Johan Erik Lindberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the son of Adolph Lindberg ( ...

File:Vasamedaljen, Sverige, förgyllt silver, 8:e storleken - Livrustkammaren - 17715.tif, Vasa Medal, gilded silver, 8th size. Engraver: Lea Ahlborn File:Vasamedaljen, Sverige, silver, 5:e storleken - Livrustkammaren - 9149.tif, Vasa Medal, silver, 5th size. Engraver: Lea Ahlborn

References

{{Orders, decorations, and medals of Sweden Orders, decorations, and medals of Sweden Awards established in 1895 Awards disestablished in 1974 1895 establishments in Sweden