Presidential Medal of Freedom

==Insignia==
[[File:presidential-medal-of-freedom.jpg|thumb|170px|Medal and accoutrements, including the [[service ribbon]], miniature and lapel badge]] [[File:PMOFwD1.jpg|thumb|170px|The Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction,<br/>as worn with [[white tie]]]]
The badge of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is in the form of a golden star with white [[Vitreous enamel|enamel]], with a red enamel [[pentagon]] behind it; the central disc bears thirteen gold stars on a blue enamel background (taken from the [[Great Seal of the United States]]) within a golden ring. Golden [[bald eagle]]s with spread wings stand between the points of the star. It is worn around the neck on a blue ribbon having white edge stripes. Women may choose to receive the award as a bow worn on the left chest (as for [[Margaret Thatcher]]).

A special and rarely granted award, called the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction,<ref>{{cite book| last1=Torreon| first1=Barbara Salazar| title=A Guide to Major Congressional and Presidential Awards| volume=RS20884| publisher=Library of Congress; Congressional Research Service| date=March 31, 2004| page=4| url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rs20884.pdf| access-date=February 9, 2011| quote=There are two degrees of the Medal, the higher being the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction.| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010080016/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rs20884.pdf| archive-date=October 10, 2011| url-status=dead}}</ref> has a larger version of the same badge, which is worn as a star on the left chest. It comes with a sash that is worn over the right shoulder (similarly to the [[Grand Cross]] of an [[order of chivalry]]), with its [[Rosette (decoration)|rosette]] (blue with a white edge, bearing the central disc of the badge at its center) resting on the left hip. When the medal with Distinction is awarded, the star may be presented hanging from a neck ribbon and can be identified by its size, which is larger than the standard badge.

In addition to the full-size insignia, the award is accompanied by a [[service ribbon]] for wear on military service uniform, a miniature medal pendant for wear on [[mess dress]] or civilian [[formal wear]], and a [[lapel pin|lapel badge]] for wear on civilian clothes, all of which comes in the full presentation set. There is a silver bald eagle with spread wings on the miniature and service ribbon, or a golden bald eagle for a medal awarded with Distinction.

The Insignia was designed by the Army's Institute of Heraldry, led by Col. Harry Downing Temple.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=oai/lib.vt.edu/repositories/2/resources/1545.oai_ead.xml#aspace_d714dc5b8900bc8cd1494fb1bba862d9.1| title=Harry Downing Temple Jr., Papers, 1872-2004 MS.1988.039| last=Gouger| first=Sarah| date=1998| website=Virginia Tech Special Collections Library| access-date=2023-01-17| archive-date=2023-01-17| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117040403/https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=oai/lib.vt.edu/repositories/2/resources/1545.oai_ead.xml#aspace_d714dc5b8900bc8cd1494fb1bba862d9.1| url-status=dead}}</ref>