Original Items. Only One Lot Available. This is a great lot of two WWI U.S. Victory Medals meant for issue to Navy & Marine Corps troops. Both medals retain their brooches and clasps.

The clasps include AVIATION, which was issued to Naval & Marine Pilots who flew overseas during the war. This could include Naval Pilots who patrolled U.S. Shores & laid mines overseas, and Aviation Marines who served in France in the final months of the war. A very rare example!

The other clasp is WEST INDIES, which is most often issued to Marines who were stationed in places like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other small Caribbean islands during World War I. Many of these Marines were fighting against local rebels. A very rare clasp.

The World War I Victory Medal (known prior to establishment of the World War II Victory Medal in 1945 simply as the Victory Medal) was a United States service medal designed by James Earle Fraser of New York City under the direction of the Commission of Fine Arts.

Award of a common allied service medal was recommended by an inter-allied committee in March 1919. Each allied nation would design a 'Victory Medal' for award to their military personnel, all issues having certain common features, including a winged figure of victory on the obverse and the same ribbon.

The Victory Medal was originally intended to be established by an act of Congress. The bill authorizing the medal never passed, however, thus leaving the military departments to establish it through general orders. The War Department published orders in April 1919, and the Navy in June of the same year.

The front of the bronze medal features a winged Victory holding a shield and sword on the front. The back of the bronze medal features "The Great War For Civilization" in all capital letters curved along the top of the medal. Curved along the bottom of the back of the medal are six stars, three on either side of the center column of seven staffs wrapped in a cord. The top of the staff has a round ball on top and is winged on the side. The staff is on top of a shield that says "U" on the left side of the staff and "S" on the right side of the staff. On the left side of the staff it lists one World War I Allied country per line: France, Italy, Serbia, Japan, Montenegro, Russia, and Greece. On the right side of the staff the Allied country names read: Great Britain, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, Rumania (spelled with a U instead of an O as it is spelled now), and China.

A lovely pair ready for further research and display.