List of recipients of the Legion of Merit

The Legion of Merit is a decoration of the United States and is awarded to foreign military personnel in four grades and to U.S. military personnel without distinction of degree. The following are notable recipients within the award.

Chief Commander #NationalityOffice/PositionRankNameForceDateComments1.Lieutenant-GeneralSir Kenneth Anderson, British Armed ForcesJune 18, 19432.ChairmanGeneralissimoChiang Kai-shekChinese Armed ForcesJuly 19433.Commander of the 200th Division of the National Revolutionary ArmyLieutenant-GeneralTai An-lan (Dai Anlan)Chinese Armed Forces1943In command of 200th Division, Chinese Expeditionary Force (Burma). KIA on May 26, 1942, in Burma.4.GOC-in-C, Eighth ArmyGeneralSir Bernard Montgomery, British Armed ForcesAugust 6, 1943Later Field Marshal5.Air C-in-C Mediterranean Air CommandAir Chief MarshalSir Arthur Tedder, Royal Air ForceAugust 27, 19436.Chief of the Air Force of the Red ArmyChief Marshal Of AviationAlexander Alexandrovich NovikovSoviet Air ForcesJune 22, 19447.Chief of the General StaffMarshal of the Soviet UnionAleksandr VasilevskySoviet Army19448.Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian SquadronRear-AdmiralSir Victor Crutchley, Royal Australian Naval SquadronSeptember 1944For exceptionally meritorious conduct 1942–44 in command of Task Force 44 in the Pacific.9.Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber CommandAir MarshalArthur Harris, Royal Air ForceOctober 17, 1944Known as "Bomber" Harris; he was the only major British commander who refused to receive a peerage after World War II (in protest in support of his men). He instituted "area bombing" of German cities.10.KingCommander-in-Chief (Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal, Marshal of the Royal Air Force)George VIBritish Armed Forces194511.First Sea LordAdmiral of the FleetThe 1st Baron Cunningham of Hyndhope, Royal Navy12.AdmiralSir John Cunningham, Royal NavyFor gallant and distinguished service during the invasion operations in Northern Italy and the South of France.13.Acting Air MarshalSir Arthur Coningham, Royal Air Force14.KingSupreme Commander-in-ChiefMarshal of RomaniaKing Michael IRomanian Armed Forces1945"Rendered exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the cause of the Allied Nations in the struggle against Hitlerite Germany. In July and August, 1944, his Nation, under the dominance of a dictatorial regime over which the King had no control, have allied herself with the Germany aggressors, he, King Mihai I, succeeded in giving purpose, direction and inspiration to the theretofore uncoordinated internal forces of opposition to the ruling dictator.

In culmination of his efforts, on 23 August 1944, although his capitol was still dominated by Germany troops, he personally, on his own initiative, and in complete disregard for his own safety, gave the signal for a coup d'etat by ordering his palace guards to arrest the dictator and his chief ministers." 15.Commander-in-Chief Polish Armed Forces in the EastMarshalMichał Rola-ŻymierskiPolish Armed Forces194516.Military Governor of the Soviet Occupation Zone of GermanyMarshal of the Soviet UnionGeorgy ZhukovSoviet Army194517.Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Naval Expeditionary ForceAdmiralSir Bertram Ramsay, Royal NavyJanuary 15, 1945For gallant and distinguished service whilst in command of the invasion operations on Normandy.18.Crown PrinceCommander-In-Chief'Abd al-IlahIraqi Armed ForcesJune 1, 194519.Flag Officer Commanding, 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron, British Pacific Fleet and Second in Command, British Pacific FleetVice AdmiralSir Philip Vian, Royal NavyJuly 17, 194520.Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French RepublicBrigadier generalCharles de GaulleFrench Armed ForcesAugust 24, 194521.Commander-in-Chief British Air Forces of OccupationAir Chief MarshalSir William Douglas, Royal Air ForceAugust 28, 1945made Commander of the Legion 28 July 194422.Flag Officer, Liaison to the United States Navy in EuropeVice AdmiralSir Geoffrey Blake, Royal NavyNovember 6, 194523.Crown PrinceChief of Defence of NorwayCrown Prince OlavNorwegian Armed ForcesNovember 23, 1945"exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from August 1944 to July 1945."24.Commander, Transbaikal-Amur Military DistrictMarshal of the Soviet UnionRodion MalinovskySoviet Army194625.Commander, Northern Group of ForcesMarshal of the Soviet UnionKonstantin RokossovskySoviet Army194626.Commanding GeneralCommanding GeneralSir Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Nepali Army1946Brother of Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana who was decorated in 1948.28.KingCommander-in-ChiefAbdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al SaudArmed Forces of Saudi ArabiaFebruary 18, 194729.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefMiguel Alemán ValdésMexican Armed ForcesNovember 26, 194730.PresidentGeneral (Commander-in-Chief)Eurico Gaspar DutraBrazilian Armed ForcesOctober 7, 194731.ShahanshahCommander-in-ChiefMohammad Reza PahlaviIranian Armed ForcesNovember 26, 194732.Minister of WarFernando Santos CostaPortuguese Armed ForcesMarch 11, 194833.Minister of the Army, Navy and Air ForceGeneralDragoljub MihailovićYugoslav Royal ArmyMarch 29, 1948"General Mihailovich and his forces, although lacking adequate supplies, and fighting under extreme hardships, contributed materially to the allied cause, and were instrumental in obtaining a final Allied Victory." Recommended by Dwight D. Eisenhower. The award was kept secret until 1966.34.Field MarshalSir William Slim, British Armed Forces194835.Chief of Army StaffGeneralLuigi Efisio MarrasItalian ArmyJanuary 4, 194936.Maharaja, Prime MinisterCommander-in-Chief (Field Marshal)Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Royal Nepalese ArmyApril 14, 1949 Brother of Sir Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana who was decorated in 1946.37.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefRómulo GallegosVenezuelan Armed ForcesApril 14, 194938.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefCarlos Prío SocarrásCuban Armed ForcesApril 14, 194939.Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-ChiefGeneralKodandera Madappa Cariappa, Indian ArmyNovember 10, 1949 Later Field Marshal40.Chief of the Army StaffArmy GeneralGeorges ReversFrench ArmyDecember 30, 194941.Commander-in-Chief of the Hellenic Armed ForcesField MarshalAlexandros PapagosGreek Armed ForcesDecember 30, 194942.Chief of the General StaffGeneralDimitrios YiadzisGreek ArmyDecember 30, 194943.Minister of National DefenseDivisional GeneralHumberto Sosa MolinaArmed Forces of the Argentine RepublicMay 24, 195044.Secretary of National DefenseLieutenant GeneralGilberto LimónMexican Armed ForcesFebruary 14, 195145.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefVincent AuriolFrench Armed ForcesApril 4, 195146.EmperorCommander-in-ChiefHaile SelassieEthiopian Armed ForcesAugust 9, 195147.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefGalo PlazaEcuadorian Armed ForcesSeptember 25, 195148.PresidentN/AOtilio Ulate BlancoN/AOctober 24, 195149.C-in-C British Commonwealth Forces KoreaLieutenant-GeneralSir Horace Robertson, Australian Defence ForceJanuary 15, 195250.Chief of the General Staff of the Armed ForcesGeneralPortuguese Armed ForcesMarch 13, 195251.QueenCommander-in-chiefQueen Juliana I of the NetherlandsNetherlands Armed ForcesApril 23, 1952Was Commander-in-chief of the Netherlands Armed Forces; Invested with the Order “For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from 1948 to 1952”.52.Prime MinisterThe Rt Hon Robert Menzies, Commonwealth of AustraliaMay 29, 195253.Marshal of FranceJean de Lattre de TassignyFrench Armed ForcesAugust 6, 1952Posthumous.54.Major GeneralCyro Espirito Santo CardosoBrazilian ArmyOctober 4, 195255.KingCommander-In-ChiefFaisal II of IraqIraqi Armed ForcesNovember 28, 195256.PresidentCommander-In-ChiefManuel OdriaPeruvian Armed ForcesAugust 4, 195357.KingCommander-in-ChiefKing Paul IGreek Armed ForcesNovember 3, 195358.Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan ArmyGeneralAyub KhanPakistan ArmyNovember 3, 195359.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefCelâl BayarTurkish Armed ForcesMarch 8, 195460.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefMarcos Pérez JiménezVenezuelan ArmyNovember 12, 195461.Minister of DefenceField MarshalLuang Plaek PibulsonggramRoyal Thai ArmyMay 2, 1955Supreme Commander62.Chief of the Army StaffGeneralSatyawant Mallana SrinageshIndian ArmySeptember 2, 1955Chief of the Army Staff63.KingCommander-in-ChiefBhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)Royal Thai Armed ForcesJune 28, 1960Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces64.Chief of the Army StaffMajor GeneralSenussi LetaiwishRoyal Libyan ArmyJune 5, 1961The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit, in the Degree of Commander to Major General Senussi Letaiwish, Libyan Army, "for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States", from October 1958 to June 1961.65.Chief of Defence ForcesField MarshalThanom KittikachornRoyal Thai Army196766.GeneralKim Yong-BaeRepublic of Korea Armed ForcesFebruary 14, 1968For service April 1965 to March 1966. The initial award of Commander degree was revoked and replaced with Chief Commander.67.Minister of National DefenseKim Sung-EunRepublic of Korea Armed ForcesDecember 9, 1968For service March 1963 to June 1966.68.PresidentCommander-in-ChiefKenan EvrenTurkish Armed ForcesJune 27, 198869.Commander British Forces Middle EastGeneralSir Peter de la Billière, British Armed Forces8 June 199370.Chief of StaffGeneralFreddy Padilla de LeonColombian Armed Forces2008 After leading the Operation Jaque into success.71.EmirCommander-in-ChiefSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-SabahKuwait Military ForcesSeptember 18, 202072.Prime MinisterNarendra ModiIndiaDecember 21, 2020"President Donald Trump presented the Legion of Merit to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in elevating the U.S.-India strategic partnership. Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu accepted the medal on behalf of Prime Minister Modi.” – NSA Robert C. O’Brien73.Prime MinisterScott MorrisonCommonwealth of AustraliaDecember 21, 2020“President @realDonaldTrump awarded the Legion of Merit to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his leadership in addressing global challenges and promoting collective security. Ambassador @A_Sinodinos accepted the medal on behalf of PM Morrison.” – NSA Robert C. O’Brien74.Former Prime MinisterShinzo AbeJapan Self-Defense ForcesDecember 21, 2020“President @realDonaldTrump awarded the Legion of Merit to Japanese Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his leadership in addressing global challenges and promoting collective security. Ambassador Shinsuke Sugiyama accepted the medal on behalf of Former PM Abe.” – NSA Robert C. O’Brien75.KingCommander-in-ChiefMohammed VIRoyal Moroccan Armed ForcesJanuary 15, 2021"His vision and personal courage — including his decision to resume ties with the State of Israel — have positively reshaped the landscape of the Middle East and North Africa and ushered in a new era of security and prosperity for both our countries and the world," a White House statement said.76.KingCommander-in-ChiefHamad bin Isa Al KhalifaBahrain Defence ForceJanuary 19, 2021

Commander