Example of Citation Star on WWI Victory Medal

The Citation Star was an award of the United States Army which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918. The Citation Star was a silver star device which was authorized pinned to the World War I Victory Medal to denote those who had been cited for extreme heroism or valor. War Department Bulletin No. 43 dated 1918 established the Citation Star and also made the decoration retroactive to be authorized as an attachment to all service medals back to the American Civil War.

Per letter from General Jervey, Office of the Chief of Staff, dated February 26, 1926, the criteria for the Citation Star are defined as:

The Secretary of War directs as follows - The following is the amended version of paragraph 187 of Army Regulation: "No more than one Medal of Honor or one Distinguished Service Cross or one Distinguished Service Medal shall be issued to any one person, but for each succeeding or act sufficient to justify the award of a Medal of Honor or Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, respectively, a bronze oak leaf cluster, shall be issued in lieu thereof; and for each citation of an officer or enlisted man for gallantry in action, published in orders from headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer, not warranting the issue of a Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, he shall wear a silver star, 3/16 inch in diameter, as prescribed in Uniform Regulations."

Army Regulation 600-40, paragraph 48, September 27, 1921, specified that the Citation Star would be worn above a campaign clasp on the ribbon of the service medal for service which a citation had been given. When displayed on an award ribbon, the Citation Star would be worn before service stars.

The service medals which were authorized the Citation Star are as follows:

• World War I Victory Medal
• Civil War Campaign Medal
• Indian Campaign Medal
• Spanish Campaign Medal
• Philippine Campaign Medal
• China Campaign Medal
• Mexican Service Medal

On July 19, 1932 the United States Secretary of War approved the Silver Star Medal to replace the Citation Star. For those who had received several Citation stars, oak leaf clusters were authorized to the Silver Star. During the Second World War, the silver citation star was brought back as an attachment to medals, but in the far lesser degree of being award as a campaign service device, in lieu of five bronze service stars.

The Citation Star was never authorized for members of other services, besides the U.S. Army, however a very similar device, known as the Navy Commendation Star was authorized for wear by Navy and Marine Corps personnel on the World War I Victory Medal. The two decorations were not considered equivalent, however, and the Navy Commendation Star was not upgradeable to the Silver Star Medal.