There are five awards of the Medal for today in our history militant. All in the last century, one a naval life-saving award, three from World War II and one from Vietnam.Interim Awards, 1901-1911. When the Medal was first authorized, it was the only award of it's kind, other than "Certificates of Merit." Congress specifically restricted the Medal to wartime, with the exception of the sea services, where Congress recognized the inherent dangers of shipboard life in the age of sail and...