[1][2] The Wake Island Device is authorized for any sailor or Marine who was awarded the Navy or Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal due to service during the defense of Wake Island during the opening days of U.S. involvement in the Second World War.

To be awarded the Wake Island Device, a service member must have been awarded either the Navy Expeditionary Medal, or the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, and must have served on Wake Island between December 7 and December 22, 1941.

[4] A total of only 449 Marine Corps and 68 Navy personnel were eligible for the Wake Island Device, making it one of the rarest of United States military awards.

[5] As a point of comparison, there were a total of 472 Medal of Honor recipients during World War II.

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