History of the Bronze Star

Duke Ligon of Oklahoma City is an expert in energy policy and investments. Currently the owner and manager of Mekusukey Oil Company, Duke Ligon also has served as a military intelligence analyst. For his service, he earned a Bronze Star Medal.

The history of the Bronze Star medal traces back to the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. At the end of World War II, a general sent President Roosevelt a memo highlighting the need to boost morale for an infantry that led “miserable lives of extreme discomfort…in personal combat with the enemy.”

In response, President Roosevelt signed an executive order allowing the issuance of Bronze Star medals for infantry members retroactive to the beginning of WWII. Soldiers may earn the Bronze Star Medal for displaying “meritorious service in a combat zone,” but the service does not necessarily involve combat action. The medal can be awarded for other types of heroic achievements or actions against an enemy.