WWII U.S. Campaign Medals (2)

This post continues the description of the campaign medals awarded during WWII.  Known as "Theaters of War" the medal shown below represents the largest geographic area during the War, which included Asia, Australia, Alaska, the Pacific Islands, most of the Pacific Ocean, and the eastern half of the Indian Ocean.  It was know as "Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal".

It was awarded for service between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946.  On the front side (obverse) the medal is designed to show an amphibious landing in the tropics, showing two helmeted soldiers holding rifles.  A leafed palm tree overshadowing a landing craft with disembarking troops is immediately in their background.  Three palm trees are shown without their palm leaves.   Further in the distance is depicted a battleship, an aircraft carrier, and a submarine with two aircraft flying overhead.  In a semicircle struck across the top are  the words  ASIATIC PACIFIC CAMPAIGN.

The back side is shown below which is identical to the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign shown last post [a bald eagle perched on a rock with the dates 1941 - 1945, and the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.]

The colors of the ribbon are centrally, three vertical stripes of  red, white, and blue representing the United States.  In parallel are two vertical stripes of white, red, and white representing the colors of Japan.  The bright orange-yellow color is representing the tropical Pacific. 

References:

American War Medals and Decorations, Evans E. Kerrigan, p. 98.

United States Air Force Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns, by A. Timothy Warnock, pp. 58 - 127.

The Call of Duty : Military Awards And Decorations Of The United States of America, by John E. Strandberg and Rober James Bender, p.207.