The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No.

[1] When awarded, a 3⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) silver star was placed on the suspension ribbon and service ribbon of the World War I Victory Medal to denote a Citation (certificate) for "Gallantry In Action" was awarded to a soldier, or to a marine or Navy corpsman attached to the Army's Second Division (2nd Infantry Division), American Expeditionary Forces.

[2] The Citation Star is authorized retroactively to denote being cited for gallantry in action back to the American Civil War.

General Henry Jervey, Office of the Chief of Staff, in a letter dated February 26, 1926, wrote: The Secretary of War directs as follows - The following is the amended version of paragraph 187 of Army Regulation: "No more than one Medal of Honor or one Distinguished Service Cross or one Distinguished Service Medal shall be issued to any one person, but for each succeeding or act sufficient to justify the award of a Medal of Honor or Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, respectively, a bronze oak leaf cluster, shall be issued in lieu thereof; and for each citation of an officer or enlisted man for gallantry in action, published in orders from headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer, not warranting the issue of a Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, he shall wear a silver star, 3⁄16 inch in diameter, as prescribed in Uniform Regulations."

At the start of World War II, the Navy Commendation Star was declared obsolete and none were issued after 1941.