medal, there were over twelve million eligible recipients, making the World War II Victory Medal the second most widely awarded military award of the United States, after the National Defense Service Medal. Appearance The bronze medal is 1 inches in width. The obverse is a figure of Liberation standing full length with head turned to dexter looking to the dawn of a new day, right foot resting on a war god's helmet with the hilt of a broken sword in the right hand and the broken blade in the left hand, the inscription WORLD WAR II placed immediately below the center. On the reverse are inscriptions for the Four Freedoms: FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND WANT and FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGION separated by a palm branch, all within a circle composed of the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1941 1945. The suspension and service ribbon of the medal is 1 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: inch double rainbow in juxtaposition (blues, greens, yellows, reds (center), yellows greens and blues); inch White 67101; center inch Old Glory Red 67156; inch White; and inch double rainbow in juxtaposition. The rainbow on each side of the ribbon is a miniature of the pattern used in the World War I Victory Medal. Although the World War I Victory Medal included clasps, the World War II Victory Medal did not. This was because campaign medals were awarded instead. See also Awards and decorations of the United States military Merchant Marine World War II Victory Medal References External links Awards established in 1945 Military awards and decorations of World War II United States service medals Sun in art Liberty symbols