The award was created by ministerial decree and is therefore a medal of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence and not a royal decoration.

On 12 September 2007 American sergeant Alexander van Aalten, (a descendant of Dutch ancestors) posthumously received the Decoration of Merit in gold.

On 20 April 2007 Van Aalten, while in Afghanistan, volunteered to assist in the recovery of the body of a fallen Dutch Corporal Strik who had been killed by an improvised explosive device.

The family of sergeant Van Aalten chose to have their son buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands authorized the attachment of the cross of Military William Order to the standard of the regiment for the liberation of Nijmegen.