North Africa Medal - Misplaced Pages

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North Africa Medal
North Africa medal (obverse)
Type	Commemorative Medal
Awarded for	90 days service in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria
Presented by	France
Eligibility	French citizens and foreign nationals serving in the ranks of the French Foreign Legion
Status	No longer awarded
Established	29 April 1997
Last awarded	12 April 2002

Ribbon of the North Africa medal

Precedence
Equivalent	Medal of the Nation's Gratitude
Next (lower)	French commemorative medal

General Pierre Vincent, a recipient of the North Africa medal

The North Africa Medal (French: Médaille d'Afrique du Nord) was a French commemorative medal established on 29 April 1997 by French President Jacques Chirac via decree 97-424, following an initiative of Pierre Pasquini, Minister for veterans' affairs and victims of war who expressed "the importance that an exceptional decoration be established for those who had fought in North Africa". Already in 1996, Minister Pasquini, President Chirac and Prime Minister Alain Juppé had requested that the existing "Title of the Nation's Gratitude" in the form of an official scroll already awarded to soldiers and civilians having served in North Africa between 1952 and 1962, finally be linked to the award of a specific medal.

Not all veterans awarded the "Title of the Nation's Gratitude" met the new medal's award prerequisites and almost immediately, new pressures were placed on the government for new medals or for a single one encompassing all bearers of the Title. It took five years for the new award to be established on 12 April 2002 by decree 2002-511. The "Medal of the Nation's Gratitude" would finally satisfy all involved parties.

The North Africa medal ceased to be awarded that very day following barely five years of existence. It was replaced by the Medal of the Nation's Gratitude with the clasp "AFRIQUE DU NORD" (English: NORTH AFRICA").

Award statute

The North Africa medal was bestowed to French civilians and military personnel, as well as to foreign nationals serving in the ranks of the French Foreign Legion, who held the "Title of the Nation's Gratitude" (French: Titre de la Reconnaissance de la Nation) for at least ninety days service in:

Algeria between 31 October 31, 1954 and 2 July 1962;
Morocco between 31 June 1953 and 1 March 1956;
Tunisia between 1 January 1952 and 19 March 1956.

The ninety-day period of service could be waived for personnel evacuated for treatment of wounds received during these operations. Award of the medal granted the bearer the same rights as the "Title of the Nation's Gratitude", namely the right to a collective pension fund and to have the French flag draping one's coffin upon death.

None can wear this medal that has been condemned to a fixed prison term of one year or more for a crime he committed.

Award description

The North Africa medal was a 34mm in diameter gilded medal struck from bronze. The obverse bore the relief image of an Agadez cross (Southern cross) surrounded by the inscription also in relief "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (English: "FRENCH REPUBLIC"). The reverse bore the relief inscription on two lines "MÉDAILLE" "D'AFRIQUE DU NORD" (English: "MEDAL" "OF NORTH AFRICA") over the relief image of a sprig of three oak leaves.

The medal hung from a ribbon passing through a ring through the medal's ball shaped suspension loop. The 34mm wide sand coloured silk moiré ribbon bore inverted 34mm wide and 3mm thick blue chevrons. The undress ribbon bore three such chevrons.

Notable recipients (partial list)

General Pierre Vincent
General Denis Mercier
General Benoît Puga
General Bruno Dary
General Marcel Valentin
Captain Hubert Clément
Sergeant Gilles Mourey

References

^ "France Phaléristique web site" (in French). Marc Champenois. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
^ Battini, Jean; Zaniewicki, Witold (2003). Guide pratique des décorations françaises actuelles. Paris: LAVAUZELLE. ISBN 2-7025-1030-2.

External links

Museum of the Legion of Honour (in French)
National Association of the bearers of the Title of the Nation's Gratitude (in French)

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National	Order of the Legion of Honour Order of Liberation Order of Merit
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Territorial	Order of Tahiti Nui

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Commemorative medals

1852 – 1871: Second Empire	Saint Helena Medal Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign Commemorative medal of the 1860 China Expedition Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition
1871–1914: Belle Époque	Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal (1885) Dahomey Expedition commemorative medal (1892) Madagascar Expeditions commemorative medal Colonial Medal China Expedition commemorative medal (1901) Morocco commemorative medal (1909)
1914–1918: World War I	1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal Dardanelles campaign medal Orient campaign medal Commemorative medal of the 1914–1918 War Medal of French Gratitude Medal for Victims of the Invasion Medal for civilian prisoners, deportees and hostages of the 1914-1918 Great War
1918–1939: Interwar	Syria-Cilicia commemorative medal
1939–1945: World War II	Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France Italian Campaign medal Medal for deportation and internment for acts of resistance Political deportation and internment medal Commemorative medal of the 1939–1945 War Medal of a liberated France Recusant's insignia
1945–1964: Decolonisation	United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal Middle East operations commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal
Since 1964	Medal of the Nation's Gratitude North Africa medal United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon medal French commemorative medal Medal for the Military Protection of the Territory

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Royal & Imperial	Order of Saint Michael Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint Louis Order of Military Merit Order of the Iron Crown Order of the Three-Golden Fleeces Order of the Reunion Decoration of The Lily Decoration of the Bordeaux Armband Decoration of the Fidelity Medal of the wounded Order of the Cross of July
Ministerial	Order of Merit for Veterans Order of Military Merit Order of Civil Merit Order of Social Merit Order of Labour Merit Order of Touristic Merit Order of the National Economy Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit Order of Artisan Merit Order of Public Health Order of Postal Merit Order of Sport Merit
Colonial	Order of Indochinese Merit Order of Saharan Merit Order of the Black Star Order of the Star of Anjouan Order of Nichan el Anouar Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam Royal Order of Cambodia Order of Merit of Madagascar and dependencies Order of Merit of Cameroon

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Award statute

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Notable recipients (partial list)

See also

References

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