[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 32, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 32CFR578.63]

[Page 456-458]
 
                       TITLE 32--NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
                    CHAPTER V--DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
 
PART 578_DECORATIONS, MEDALS, RIBBONS, AND SIMILAR DEVICES--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  578.63  Lapel buttons.

    (a) Lapel buttons are miniature replicas of military decorations; 
service medals and ribbons; and identification badges. Lapel buttons are 
worn only on civilian clothing. The buttons will be worn on the left 
lapel of civilian clothing for male personnel and in a similar location 
for female personnel.
    (b) Lapel buttons for military decorations. Lapel buttons for 
military decorations are issued in the following two forms:
    (1) A rosette, \1/2\-inch in diameter, for the Medal of Honor.
    (2) A colored enamel replica (\1/8\-inch by \21/32\-inch) for the 
service ribbon for other decorations.
    (c) Lapel buttons for badges. The only badges that have an approved 
lapel button are certain identification badges as follows:
    (1) Presidential Service Badge;
    (2) Vice Presidential Service Badge;
    (3) Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge;
    (4) Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge; and
    (5) Army Staff Identification Badge.
    (d) World War I Victory Button. A five-pointed star \5/8\-inch in 
diameter on a wreath with the letters ``US'' in the center. For persons 
wounded in action, the lapel button is silver; for all others, the lapel 
button is bronze. Eligibility requirements are the same for the World 
War I Victory Medal.
    (e) Honorable Service Lapel Button (World War II Victory Medal). A 
button of gold-color metal consists of an eagle perched within a ring 
composed of a chief and 13 vertical stripes. The button is \7/16\-inch 
high and \5/8\-inch wide. Eligibility requirements are honorable Federal 
military service between September 8, 1939 and December 31, 1946.
    (f) Lapel button for service prior to September 8, 1939. (Not issued 
or sold by the Department of the Army.) A button \7/16\-inch high and 
\5/8\-inch wide, of gold-color metal consists of an eagle perched within 
a ring which displays seven white and six red vertical stripes and a 
blue chief bearing the words ``National Defense.'' It may be worn only 
by a person who served honorably before September 8, 1939 as an enlisted 
man, warrant officer, nurse, contract surgeon, veterinarian, or 
commissioned officer, in the Regular Army or a Citizen's Military 
Training Camp for 2 months, or in the National Guard, Enlisted Reserve 
Corps, or Senior ROTC for 1 year, or in junior ROTC for 2 years.
    (g) Army Lapel Button. The Army Lapel Button is a gratuitous issue 
item made up of a minute man in gold color on a red enamel disk 
surrounded by 16-pointed gold rays with an outside diameter of \9/16\-
inch. Eligibility requirements are as follows:
    (1) Soldiers transitioning with an honorable characterization of 
service (those being transferred to another component for completion of 
a military service obligation, and those receiving an Honorable 
Discharge Certificate).
    (2) Non-adverse separation provision.
    (3) Minimum 9 months continuous service--a break is 24 hours or 
more.
    (4) Active Federal service on or after April 1, 1984; or, service in 
a Ready Reserve unit organized to serve as a unit (National Guard unit 
or Army Reserve troop program unit) on or after July 1, 1986.
    (5) Retroactive issuance is not authorized.
    (6) No soldier separating from the Service is to be awarded more 
than one Army Lapel Button.
    (h) U.S. Army Retired Lapel Button. Retired Army personnel who are 
in possession of DD Form 2 (U.S. Uniformed Services Identification Card) 
(Retired)) are eligible to wear the Army Retired Lapel Button. 
Commanders will present the U.S. Army Retired Lapel Button to Army 
personnel at an appropriate ceremony before they retire.

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    (i) Active Reserve Lapel Button. The Active Reserve Lapel Button is 
authorized for active membership in the Ready Reserve of the Army. It is 
made up of a minute man in gold color on a bronze color base and is \11/
16\-inch in length. The button is an optional purchase item, not issued 
or sold by the Department of the Army. It is not worn on the uniform.
    (j) Lapel Button for Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA). 
The KATUSA Lapel Button (KLB) was approved by the Secretary of the Army 
on March 22, 1988 as a gratuitous issue item. The KLB is a round disk 
with an outside diameter of \9/16\-inch that is comprised of a Korean 
Taeguk that consists of the characteristics from both the U.S. and 
Republic of Korea National Flags resting on a white background. The 
words ``Honorable Service * KATUSA'' are situated on the border of the 
outer edge of the KLB.
    (1) The following requirements must be met to be eligible for award 
of the KLB:
    (i) Individual must have been a Republic of Korea Army soldier who 
has been assigned as a KATUSA soldier to a U.S. Army unit or activity 
for a minimum of 9 months of continuous honorable active service on or 
after March 22, 1988.
    (ii) Must be separating from active duty with the Republic of Korea 
Army.
    (iii) Disqualifying characterization of service for the award of the 
KLB is identical with that used for the Army Lapel Button.
    (2) Issuance requirements are as follows:
    (i) The KLB will be awarded to all eligible KATUSA soldiers.
    (ii) The U.S. Army unit commander will coordinate with the 
appropriate Republic of Korea staff officer/NCO to obtain Republic of 
Korea Army concurrence prior to presentation of the KLB.
    (iii) Presentation will normally be made by the U.S. Army unit 
commander to which last assigned prior to separation from active service 
or by his designated U.S. Army commissioned officer representative 
during a troop formation or other appropriate ceremony.
    (3) Orders will not be published to confirm award of the KLB.
    (k) Gold Star Lapel Button. The Gold Star Lapel Button was 
established by Act of Congress (Pub. L. 80-306) August 1, 1947, codified 
at 10 U.S.C. 1126 in order to provide an appropriate identification for 
widows, widowers, parents, and next of kin of members of the Armed 
Forces of the United States who lost their lives during World War I, 
April 6, 1917 to March 3, 1921; World War II, September 8, 1939 to July 
25, 1947; any subsequent period of armed hostilities in which the United 
States was engaged before July 1, 1958 (United Nations action in Korea, 
June 27, 1950 to July 27, 1954); or who lost their lives after June 30, 
1958, while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; 
or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an 
opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces 
engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a 
belligerent party against an opposing Armed Force; or who lost or lose 
their lives after March 28, 1973, as a result of an international 
terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly 
to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of 
Defense; or while serving in a military operation while serving outside 
the United States (including the commonwealths, territories, and 
possessions of the United States) as part of a peacekeeping force.
    (1) The Gold Star Lapel Button consists of a gold star on a purple 
circular background, bordered in gold and surrounded by gold laurel 
leaves. On the reverse is the inscription ``United States of America, 
Act of Congress, August 1966'' with space for engraving the initials of 
the recipient. Gold Star Lapel Buttons inscribed August 1947 may be 
issued until present inventories are exhausted.
    (2) One Gold Star Lapel Button will be furnished without cost to the 
widow or widower, to each of the parents, each child, stepchild, child 
through adoption, brother, half brother, sister, and half sister of a 
member of the Armed Forces who lost his or her life while in the active 
military service during the periods indicated above. The term ``widow or 
widower'' includes those who have since remarried, and

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the term ``parents'' includes mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, 
mother through adoption, father through adoption, and foster parents who 
stood in loco parentis. Request for replacement of the Gold Star Lapel 
Button (lost, destroyed or unserviceable) will be submitted on DD Form 3 
(Application for Gold Star Lapel Button) to NPRC (see Sec.  578.16 
(a)(3)).
    (3) Each casualty area commander and major overseas commander will 
stock Gold Star Lapel Buttons and ensure that survivor assistance 
officers are provided them for issue to eligible next of kin. Normally, 
delivery should not be made prior to the first visit to the next of kin 
following interment.
    (l) Lapel Button for Next of Kin of Deceased Personnel. The Lapel 
Button, Next of Kin of Deceased Personnel is provided to widows(ers), 
parents, and primary next of kin of armed services members who lose 
their lives while serving on active duty or while assigned in an Army 
Reserve or Army National Guard unit in a drill status.
    (1) The button consists of a gold star within a circle 
(commemorating honorable service) surrounded by sprigs of oak (referring 
to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps).
    (2) One lapel button will be furnished without cost to the widow or 
widower, to each of the parents, each child, stepchild, child through 
adoption, brother, half brother, sister, and half sister of a member of 
the Armed Forces who lost his or her life while on active duty. The term 
widow or widower includes those who have since remarried, and the term 
parents includes mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, mother through 
adoption, father through adoption, and foster parents who stood in place 
of a parent.
    (3) Casualty area commands will stock the button and ensure that 
survivor assistance officers issue them to eligible next of kin.
    (4) The Lapel Button, Next of Kin of Deceased Personnel is 
authorized for issue retroactive to March 29, 1973. The next of kin of 
soldiers who died since that date may request issue of the button by 
writing to the NPRC (see Sec.  578.16(a)(3)). Furnish the name, grade, 
SSN, and date of death of the deceased soldier. The names and 
relationships of the next of kin must also be provided.
    (m) Army Superior Unit Award Lapel Pin. The Army Superior Unit Award 
Lapel Pin is authorized for issue and wear by DA civilians in the employ 
of a unit awarded the Army Superior Unit Award. The lapel pin is also 
authorized for optional purchase and wear on civilian clothing by 
qualified military personnel.