The War Cross for Military Valor ( it, Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare) is an Italian order for military valor. Established in 1922, the cross may be awarded only in time of war.

Appearance

The medal is a

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

made of copper. Inscribed on the horizontal arms is ''Al Valore Militare'' (For Military Valor). On the top arm of the cross is the monogram of the Italian Republic. The bottom arm depicts a Roman sword sheathed in bay leaves. The back of the cross depicts a five-pointed star, with rays radiating from behind that star out to the arms of the cross. The cross is suspended from a solid blue ribbon.

Notable recipients

Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta Prince Aimone, 4th Duke of Aosta (''Aimone Roberto Margherita Maria Giuseppe Torino''; 9 March 1900 – 29 January 1948) was a prince of Italy's reigning House of Savoy and an officer of the Royal Italian Navy. The second son of Prince Emanu ...

Vernon Baker Vernon may refer to: Places Australia *Vernon County, New South Wales Canada *Vernon, British Columbia, a city *Vernon, Ontario France * Vernon, Ardèche *Vernon, Eure United States * Vernon, Alabama * Vernon, Arizona * Vernon, California * ...

; Second Lieutenant,

U.S. 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, cl ...

, MoH *

Heinrich Bleichrodt Heinrich Bleichrodt (21 October 1909 – 9 January 1977) was a German U-boat commander during the Second World War. From October 1939 until retiring from front line service in December 1943, he was credited with sinking 25 ships for a total of . ...

; German

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

Gaetano Costa Gaetano Costa (; Caltanissetta, 1 March 1916 - Palermo, 6 August 1980) was an Italian magistrate killed by the Cosa Nostra. Chief Prosecutor of Palermo, he was assassinated by the Mafia on 6 August 1980 while browsing books on a stall located ...

;

Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...

Douglas Fairbanks Jr Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...

, U.S. Navy *

Carlo Fecia di Cossato Carlo Fecia di Cossato (25 September 1908 – 27 August 1944) was an officer in the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy), in command of submarines and torpedo boats during World War II. He was credited with the confirmed sinking of 23 enemy ships (16 ...

; Commander,

Regia Marina The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the Italian constitutional referendum, 1946, birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' ch ...

* Hamilton H. Howze; General, U.S. Army *

Edgar Erskine Hume Edgar Erskine Hume CBE FRSE MD (26 December 1889 – 24 January 1952) was an American physician, Major General in the U.S Army medical corps, writer and amateur ornithologist. At the time of his retirement from the Army he was the most decorat ...

; Major General, U.S. Army * Clayton P. Kerr;

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, U.S. Army *

Wolfgang Lüth Wolfgang Lüth (15 October 1913 – 14 May 1945) was a German U-boat captain of World War II who was credited with the sinking of 46 merchant ships plus the sunk during 15 war patrols, for a total tonnage of . Lüth joined the ''Reichsmarine' ...

; German Kriegsmarine *

Enrico Martini Enrico Martini (''nom de guerre'' "Mauri") Mondovì, 29 January 1911 – Turkey, 19 September 1976) was an Italian soldier and partisan, an Alpini ''Major'', founder of the ''1 Group Alpine Divisions'' in the Italian Resistance, and a recipien ...

; Italian Lieutenant Colonel *

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

; Brigadier General, U.S. Army *

Kaoru Moto Kaoru Moto (April 25, 1917 – August 26, 1992) was a United States Army soldier.Vachon, Duane "'Tegara osele na wo nokose', To leave a name behind - PFC Kaoru Moto, U.S. Army, WW II, 100th Infantry Battalion, Medal of Honor, (1917-1992),"''Ha ...

; Pfc, US Army, MoH * Charles R. Train; WWI, U.S. Navy

References

Military awards and decorations of Italy {{Italy-mil-stub