Yes, there are many vendors who sell US Military awards online. Naturally, you should only purchase awards you are authorized to wear/display (or the person you're creating a shadowbox for was authorized it)
NO. That Bronze star on the Service Medal is not the same. That medal is in recognition of how many deployments to that area. The 'Bronze Star' itself stands alone.
Because of the large number of the Bronze Star Medal awarded, no single list exists
Bronze Star Medal was created on 1944-02-04.
Bronze Star Medal (BSM)
one is silver and one is bronze The Silver Star Medal is a higher award for bravery than the Bronze Star Medal. The Bronze Star Medal was issued to any Infantryman who fought in combat. The Silver Star Medal is silver and has a ribbon that is prodominately blue. The Bronze Star Medal is identical in size and design except it is bronze and has a ribbon that is mainly red.
Yes there is one. I have added the link to the Bronze Star Medal Association.
Normally it means Bronze Star Medal & Purple Heart. In Vietnam, a Bronze Star Medal could be given for EITHER Meritorius or Heroism. If it was awarded for Heroism, then the medal comes (on written orders) with a "V" device (which is attached to the cloth portion of the medal or attached to the ribbon). Most US servicemen always wore the ribbon; they seldom if ever wore the medals.
The Bronze Star Medal could be awarded for either "meritorious service" or for "valor". If the award was for valor, the Medal was awarded with a bronze "V device" to be worn on the ribbon of the Medal. After the war was over the Army decided that every WWII veteran was entitled to the Bronze Star Medal, but the award was for "meritorious service", not "valor", so no "V device".
No list exists. The Bronze Star medal was created in 1944, so it has existed for over 65 years. A time when the US was involved in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq/Afghanistan, to name but a few. Because the medal is awarded for combat and non-combat actions, tens of thousands have been awarded.
The Bronze Star is a military decoration awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for acts of heroism, valor, or meritorious service in a combat zone. The bronze star ribbon indicates the individual has been awarded the Bronze Star medal multiple times. The small bronze star ribbon is typically a service ribbon worn on the military uniform to denote additional awards of the Bronze Star medal.
A Bronze Service Star was a small bronze star device that was added to a Campaign Medal to indicate 5 campaigns.
1944