Military Order of Foreign Wars
The Medal The French Naval War Commemorative Medal was licensed by the Military Order of Foreign Wars to recognize the contribution of America’s naval forces in protecting the maritime and neutrality rights of the United States during its undeclared war with France.
Period of Service
This medal recognizes military service against France between 1798 and 1801.
Designer
The French Naval War Commemorative Medal was designed by Nadine Russell, the Chief of Creative Heraldry at the Army’s Institute of Heraldry and the designer of many of this Nation’s campaign and service medals. This medal was privately commissioned by the Military Order of Foreign Wars.
Symbolism
Obverse
In the center of a bronze medallion torch is superimposed over crossed swords. A palm wreath issues upward from the bottom of the torch and over the swords. In the re-entrant angles between the hilts of the swords and the top of the torch, there are two fleur-de-lis. Following the contour of the upper half of the medal, the inscription FRENCH NAVAL WAR appears in raised letter. Following the contour of the bottom of the medal, the dates 1798 1801 appear and are separated by the base of the torch.
The swords are an officer’s sword and an enlisted man’s cutlass. They are combined with the torch to represent Captain Thomas Truxton’s insistence on the highest standards of crew training. Truxton’s leadership and insistence on training paid handsome dividends for the young Navy in two complete victories over French men-of-war, which are represented by the two fleur-de-lis. The sword and cutlass are crossed to denote teamwork and cooperation; the torch is the traditional symbol of training. The palm wreath unites the swords and torch and, symbolizes victory.
Reverse
The reverse bears the seal of the Military Order of Foreign Wars: In the center of a bronze medallion, a shield bearing four swords pointing downward, two at an angle from the left, and two at an angle from the right. Above the swords is an American eagle with its wings spread, shown behind a battlement. In the field behind the shield is a field of thirteen stars amid a cloud formation, and above the shield is a mural circlet from which arises an arm in armor holding four thunderbolts. Beneath the shield is a banner bearing the motto, DEUS ET LIBERTAS, and beneath the banner appears the date 1894 (the date being separated, right and left). Surrounding the entire central theme is another banner, this one bearing the inscription, MILITARY ORDER OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES, and surrounding this banner is a circle of bullets.
Ribbon
The ribbon is adapted from the Navy streamer for the French Naval War. Its colors consist of a field of light blue; inside each edge of the ribbon are blue, white and red pinstripes. The blue represents the United States while the red, white, and blue pinstripes represent France.
Background
The French Revolution broke out in 1789, and on February 1, 1793, France declared war on Great Britain and Spain. In April of 1793 Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality, even though there was considerable public support for the French Revolution in the United States, which had recently won its own independence through a war of revolution. Both England and France engaged in attacks on American shipping as a form of economic warfare against each other. In an effort to prevent the United States from getting caught up in the Anglo-French conflict, President Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay to England to secure an agreement that would respect the needs of both the United States and England. The treaty that resulted made few important concessions to the United States, especially with respect to American neutrality on the high seas. However, the French, irritated at what it saw as American overtures to England, believed the United States had become an ally of England and increased its attacks on American shipping. Washington’s successor, John Adams, sent a commission to France in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. The French demanded a bribe of $250,000 and a loan of ten million dollars as conditions of their cooperation. The Americans refused; public opinion quickly turned against the French, and an undeclared war between France and the United States broke out on the high seas. About forty warships were commis-sioned, and American privateers began to attack French shipping. Although there was popular pressure to declare war, President Adams did not want to do so and the so-called “quasi-war” with France was fought entirely at sea. When the trouble with France began, the only armed vessels available to the United States were the original revenue cutters. As a result, Congress instructed them to stop American ships from privateering against ships belonging to friendly nations. On February 25, 1799, Congress authorized the President to place the revenue cutters under control of the new Navy. To this day, in time of war the Coast Guard may be placed under the operational control of the Navy. Interestingly, when the Revenue Cutter Service was originally established, Alexander Hamilton wanted to commission its officers as Navy officers. Congress, fearful of a standing military establishment, rejected Hamilton’s request and appointed revenue cutter service personnel were designated as “officers” and “mates” and were designated as “officers of customs” rather than as naval officers. Revenue Cutter Service officers serving with the Navy found the difference in their titles awkward, and as a result of their service during the French Naval War, on March 2, 1799, Congress changed the titles of their officers to captains and lieutenants.
In this quasi-war the new United States Navy received its baptism of fire. A total of forty-five United States vessels served in combat between 1798 and 1801, including eight revenue cutters. With respect to the Navy, Captain Thomas Truxton’s insistence on the highest standards of crew training paid handsome dividends when the frigate Constellation won two complete victories over French men-of-war. United States naval squadrons operating principally in West Indian waters sought out and attacked enemy privateers until France agreed to an honorable settlement. The Navy’s battle streamer for the French Naval Wars bears three bronze stars for the following actions:
Constellation – La Vengeance (February 1-2, 1800)
Anti-Privateering Operations