Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

January 27th, 1948

Rank:

Secretary of Defense

Unit:

U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Government

Awarded on:

April 14th, 1949

"JAMES FORRESTAL has performed exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service to the United States of America in a position of great responsibility as the first Secretary of Defense, and head of the National Military Establishment from its origination under the National Security Act of 1947 on September 18, 1947, to March 28, 1949. During this period, he was responsible for envisaging, planning, and executing important policies and programs for the integration of the Armed Forces and the related agencies of the National Military Establishment, and his success in this complex undertaking materially advanced the security of the nation. He courageously and with statesman-like skill led in the resolving of vast, complex and innumerable problems in the manifold and unexplored areas involved. He was remarkably successful in building a solid foundation for the unified military establishment, in achieving fruitful progress in many fields, and also in expediting to an exceptional degree the development of the Armed Forces in the urgent and far reaching fields of scientific accomplishment. Beginning this challenging assignment with a background of more than seven years of distinguished public service, he performed his duties as Secretary of Defense with vigorous leadership, fearlessness, integrity, selflessness, and unstinted expenditure of physical effort. To implement the task undertaken he, with excellent judgment and rare initiative, brought to action numerous civilian, scientific, industrial, business, religious and educational elements of the Nation to augment the uniformed personnel in making our military strength a potent factor in the constant efforts of the nation to attain the goal of world peace."

Department of the Army, General Orders No. 20

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)