Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 40 Part 1.djvu/889

 serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States since the sixth of April, nineteen hundred and seventeen, has distinguished, or who hereafter shall distinguish, himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility; and said distinguished-service medal shall also be issued to enlisted men of the Army to whom the certificate of merit has been granted up to and including the date of the passage of this Act under the provisions of previously existing law, in lieu of such certificate of merit, and after the passage of this Act the award of the certificate of merit for distinguished service shall cease; and additional pay heretofore authorized by law for holders of the certificate of merit shall not be paid to them beyond the date of the award of the distinguished service medal in lieu thereof as aforesaid.

That each enlisted man of the Army to whom there has been or shall be awarded a medal of honor, a distinguished-service cross, or a distinguished-service medal shall, for each such award be entitled to additional pay at the rate of $2 per month from the date of the distinguished act or service on which the award is based, and each bar, or other suitable device, in lieu of a medal of honor, a distinguished-service cross, or a distinguished-service medal, as hereinafter provided for, shall entitle him to further additional pay at the rate of $2 per month from the date of the distinguished act or service for ` which the bar is awarded, and said additional pay shall continue throughout his active service, whether such service shall or shall not be continuous; but when the award is in lieu of the certificate of merit, as provided for in section three hereof, the additional pay shall begin with the date of the award.

That 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 deed or act sufficient to justify the award of a medal of honor or a distinguished-service cross or a distinguished-service medal, respectively, the President may award a suitable bar, or other suitable device, to be worn as he shall direct; and for each other citation of an officer or enlisted man for gallantry in action published in orders issued from the headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer he shall be entitled to wear, as the President shall direct, a silver star three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter.

That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to expend from the appropriations for contingent expenses of his department from time to time so much as may be necessary to defray the cost of the medals of honor, distinguished-service crosses, distinguished-service medals, bars, rosettes, and other devices hereinbefore provided for. That whenever a medal, cross, bar, ribbon, rosette, or other device presented under the revisions of this Act shall have been lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for use, without fault or neglect on the part of the person to» whom it was awarded, such medal, cross, bar, ribbon, rosette, or device shall be replaced without charge therefor.

That, except as otherwise prescribe herein, no medals of honor, distinguished-service cross, distinguished-service medal, or bar or other suitable device in lieu of either of said medals or of said cross, shall be issued to any person after more than three years from the date of the act justifying the award thereof, nor unless a specific statement or report distinctly setting forth the distinguished service and suggesting or recommending official recognition thereof shall have been made at the time of the distinguished service or within two years thereafter, nor unless it shall appear from the official records in the War Department that such person has so distinguished himself as to entitle him thereto: but in case an individual who shall distinguish himself dies before the making of the award to which he may be entitled, the award may