Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of a Chief Commander grade Legion of Merit, complete with original presentation case. The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.

The degrees of Chief Commander, Commander, Officer, and Legionnaire are awarded only to members of armed forces of foreign nations under the criteria outlined in Army Regulation 672-7 and is based on the relative rank or position of the recipient as follows:

-Chief Commander: Head of state or government. However, this degree was awarded by President Roosevelt to some Allied World War II theater commanders, usually for joint amphibious landings or invasions. (The President had this power under Executive Order 9260 of October 29, 1942, paragraph 3b.)
-Commander: Equivalent of a U.S. military chief of staff or higher position, but not to a head of state.
-Officer: General or flag officer below the equivalent of a U.S. military chief of staff; colonel or equivalent rank (e.g., Navy or Coast Guard captain) for service in assignments equivalent to those normally held by a general or flag officer in U.S. military service; or military attachés.
-Legionnaire: All recipients not included above.

The Commander Degree of the Legion of Merit Medal is, on a wreath of green laurel joined at the bottom by a gold bow-knot (rosette), a five-pointed white star bordered crimson, points reversed with v-shaped extremities tipped with a gold ball. In the center, a blue disk encircled by gold clouds, with 13 white stars arranged in the pattern that appears on the Great Seal of the United States. Between each star point, within the wreath, are crossed war arrows pointing outwards, representing armed protection to the Nation. The overall width is 2+1⁄4 inches (57 mm). A gold laurel wreath in the v-shaped angle at the top connects an oval suspension ring to the neck ribbon that is 1+15⁄16 inches (49 mm) in width. The reverse of the five-pointed star is enameled in white, and the border is crimson. In the center, a disk for engraving the name of the recipient surrounded by the words "ANNUIT COEPTIS MDCCLXXXII": a combination of the motto from the Great Seal, "He [God] Has Favored Our Undertakings", with the date for the first award of a US decoration, the Purple Heart. An outer scroll contains the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." A miniature of the decoration in silver on a horizontal silver bar is worn on the service ribbon.

The neck ribbon for the degree of Commander is 1+15⁄16 inches (49 mm) wide and consists of the following stripes: 1⁄16 inch (1.6 mm) white 67101; center 1+13⁄16 inches (46 mm) crimson and 1⁄16 inch (1.6 mm) white.

The overall condition of the set is very nice with a great appearance and undamaged presentation case.

Comes more than ready for further research and display.