Missouri Service Medallion and Medal Programs

Missouri recognises service with a medallion, a medal and a certificate of appreciation, administered by the adjutant general with designs by the Missouri Veterans' Commission, and Laws 2026 H.B. 2593 tripled the number of programmes. The established ones are the World War II medallion under sections 42.170 to 42.190, which also covers the Jubilee of Liberty replica medal for D-Day veterans; the Korean Conflict medallion under sections 42.200 to 42.206; and the Vietnam War medallion under sections 42.220 to 42.226. The 2026 act added three: the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn medallion under sections 42.310 and 42.311, for honorable active duty service at any time between March 19, 2003 and December 15, 2011; the Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Operation Allies Refuge programme under sections 42.312 and 42.313; and the Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm medallion under sections 42.315 and 42.316. The eligibility design is deliberately wide and is the reason this entry is worth reading rather than skimming. A veteran qualifies if the veteran is a legal resident of Missouri, or was a legal resident at the time of entering military service, or was a legal resident at the time of discharge, or was a legal resident at the time of death. Alternatively, a veteran who served in a unit of the Missouri National Guard qualifies regardless of whether that veteran is or ever was a legal resident of the state. Four residency moments or none at all. The veteran must have been honorably separated or discharged, or still be in active service in an honorable status, or have been in active service in an honorable status at the time of death. The medallion is awarded regardless of whether the veteran served within the United States or in a foreign country, so there is no requirement of overseas or theater service, and regardless of whether the veteran was under eighteen years of age at the time of enlistment. Survivors may apply. Any spouse or eldest living survivor of a deceased veteran who would have been entitled but who died before applying may apply, and where a veteran dies after applying the award goes to the survivor. Funding runs through section 42.300.1(6), which the 2026 act rewrote. It previously named specific conflicts; it now covers commission and National Guard expenses for medals, medallions and certificates "in recognition of service in the Armed Forces of the United States for any conflict, war, operation, or similar incident identified under this chapter", and it provides that funds remaining from the medals programmes are not transferred to any other fund and may only be used for future medals. So the money follows the chapter automatically as new programmes are added, which is why three could be created at once. Applications go to the adjutant general, who administers the programmes and has rulemaking authority under the paired sections 42.311, 42.313 and 42.316.