United States. A Selective Service System Service Medal With Case

Bronze, 31.7 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, very light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by its 9.5 mm x 35.5 mm Ribbon Bar with pinback and its 3.5 mm x 18 mm enamelled Ribbon Bar with button hole attachment, in its hardshelled case of issue, marked "SELECTIVE SERVICE MEDAL" on the lid, tearing evident on the two front corners on the cover, tape repair on the hinge, scuffing on the bottom, case fine.

Footnote: The Selective Service System Second World War Service Medal was the first medal issued by the agency and was widely recognized when first awarded. As the Second World War wound down, more and more Americans were being recognized for their bravery and service during the conflict. Returning soldiers wore colorful ribbons denoting their decorations and service medals. And, for the first time in United States history, civilians who had significantly contributed to the war effort were recognized with the Medal of Freedom and the Medal for Merit. Perhaps it is not surprising that a medal was proposed and authorized for volunteers in the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System was the agency that administered the military draft during the Second World War. More than 100,000 people served in the Selective Service System, most as volunteers. Selective Service personnel served on local draft boards, advisory boards, appeal boards, medical advisory and registrant advisory boards, and state boards. They served as directors, clerks, and examiners. They worked as government appeals agents, re-employment committeemen, examining physicians, dentists, medical field agents, social workers, and many other positions. By the end of the war, it was estimated that volunteers spent an average of ten hours a week fulfilling their Selective Service duties, often in the evenings and on weekends. Their contributions to the war effort were significant and public sentiment demanded national recognition. Their decisions sent their neighbors to war, interrupting and sometimes ending their lives. In June 1945, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 1812 "to authorize an award of merit for uncompensated personnel of the Selective Service System." This resolution went to the Senate, was quickly passed, and became Public Law 112 (Chapter 219, 1st Session, 79th Congress) when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it on July 2, 1945.