History

The Marine Corps Brevet Medal was authorized on June 7, 1921. The Cross was instituted as a mark of distinction to reward Marine Corps Officers who had received a Brevet Commission in recognition of bravery and heroism in the presence of the enemy between April 15, 1861, and March 3, 1915. The Bronze Cross was presented on a one-time basis in 1921 to living or former Officers of the Marine Corps who received a Brevet Commission for service in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, or the Boxer Rebellion. The award of the Cross was approved for 23 men, however, only 20 recipients lived to receive the award. The Brevet Medal is the rarest Decoration of the United States and it was declared obsolete in 1940.

No posthumous awards of the Medal are made.