President Woodrow Wilson established the Army decoration on Jan. 2, 1918, at the request of Army Gen. John J. Pershing.

With U.S. troops fighting in World War I, Pershing saw the need for a decoration recognizing heroism of a lesser degree than required for the Medal of Honor to allow soldiers to be more quickly rewarded for combat gallantry. Awards of allies, such as the British Military Cross and the French Croix de Guerre, served as inspiration.

The original Distinguished Service Cross was a bronze cross with an American eagle in the center with its wings spread. Below the eagle was a scroll with the words “E Pluribus Unum.” The second (and current) version has the words “For Valor” and a slightly larger eagle imposed on a circular wreath of laurel leaves, a traditional symbol of courage and victory in battle. The ribbon colors are based on those of the American flag.

The Navy Cross was established on Feb. 4, 1919.

The sculptor who designed it experimented with the image of a contemporary destroyer on the medal, but ultimately used a vessel image reminiscent of a caravel, a late 15th-century sailing ship. The caravel was a symbol often used by the U.S. Naval Academy, representing both naval service and the tradition of the sea.

Laurel leaves and berries adorn the cross, signifying achievement.

The ribbon is navy blue, representing sea service, with a center stripe of white, symbolizing the purity of selflessness.

The Air Force Cross was established on July 6, 1960, 13 years after the service separated from the Army.

Though Air Force leaders wanted the service to have its own awards, they also wanted to maintain the Air Force’s link to the Army. The medal design intentionally follows the shape of the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross to preserve that connection.

At the center of the cross is the eagle and cloud from the Air Force’s official coat of arms — the eagle representing America and its airpower, and the cloud symbolizing the start of a new sky. A green laurel leaf wreath, a traditional decoration for heroes in antiquity, encircles the eagle and cloud.

The Army Medal of Honor was established July 12, 1862, soon after the Navy’s. Originally, they differed only in the device connecting the medal to the ribbon: Instead of an anchor, the Army medal was suspended from an eagle, symbolizing the United States.

The Army changed its design in 1904, replacing much of the Civil War-era symbolism. Today, the image at the center of the Army’s medal is a profile of Minerva with an owl on her helmet, representing wisdom. The words “United States of America” surround her profile.

A green laurel wreath, a symbol of victory, encircles the points of the star, and the eagle connecting the medal to its ribbon perches on a gold bar with “VALOR” inscribed on it.

The Navy’s was the first Medal of Honor, established on Dec. 21, 1861.

The original design consisted of an inverted star with two images in the center: On the right was Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and war; on the left was a man clutching snakes and recoiling from her.

The man represented discord — and the insignia came to be known as “Minerva Repulsing Discord” — reflecting the chaos of the Civil War and the struggle to preserve the Union. Surrounding the insignia were 34 stars, representing each state of the Union and the Confederate states.

Originally, the medal hung from a red, white and blue ribbon, but today, all Medals of Honor hang from a light blue ribbon with 13 stars, representing the nation’s 13 original colonies. An anchor connects the Navy medal to its ribbon.

The Air Force Medal of Honor, instituted in 1965, retains many design elements from the Army version, which airmen previously received.

The Air Force medal has a green enamel laurel wreath, representing victory, and oak leaves in the points of the star, representing strength.

At the center of the star, the Air Force medal shows the profile of the Statue of Liberty, symbolizing American ideals. Connecting the medal to the ribbon is an image derived from the Air Force seal of wings, lightning and a thunderbolt, representing striking power through air.