Merchant Marine Mariner's Medal

Merchant Marine Mariner's Medal
Black and white photo of the medal from a 1946 War Shipping Administration publication
Type	Individual Award
Awarded for	Awarded to United States Merchant Marine seamen who were killed or wounded as a direct result of conflict against an opposing armed force
Presented by	United States Maritime Administration
Campaign(s)	Second World War
Status	No longer issued
Established	May 10, 1943
Last awarded	June 30, 1956
Total	6,635
Merchant Marine Mariner's Medal ribbon
Precedence
Next (higher)	Merchant Marine Gallant Ship Citation Ribbon
Equivalent	Purple Heart
Next (lower)	Merchant Marine Combat Bar

The Merchant Marine Mariner's Medal is a decoration of the United States Merchant Marine. Because the Merchant Marine was not considered a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Purple Heart was not available to Merchant Mariners; as such, the Mariner's Medal was established by an Act of Congress on 10 May 1943 to solve this dilemma.

Awarded only to members of the United States Merchant Marine, the Mariner's Medal recognizes seamen who were killed or wounded as a direct result of conflict against an opposing armed force; in specific, it was awarded to any seaman who while serving in a ship during a war period is wounded, suffers physical injury, or suffers through dangerous exposure as a result of an act of enemy of the United States. In the event any such seaman dies from the wounds or injuries before the award can be made to him, the medal may be presented to the person named in the War Risk Policy as his beneficiary.^[1] 6,635 Mariner's Medals were awarded for service in the Second World War; all further awards of the Mariner's Medal were suspended on 30 June 1956 and has not been awarded in subsequent U.S. theaters of conflict.

Although the Merchant Marine Mariner's Medal is considered a federal service decoration, it may be worn on the uniforms of active duty service members.