- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Institution: 14 November 1975
- Country: Germany (GDR DDR German Democratic Republic)
The Meritorious Member of the National People’s Army (or Verdienter Angehöriger der Nationalen Volksarmee in German) was a prestigious state award of the German Democratic Republic (or GDR), conferred as an honorary title accompanied by a certificate and a wearable medal.
Instituted on November 14, 1975, and first awarded on February 20, 1976, this honor was limited to a maximum of 20 recipients per year and could be awarded to an individual only once. The title recognized members of the National People’s Army (NVA) for outstanding services that significantly enhanced the NVA’s combat readiness.
The Honored Member of the National People’s Army Medal Design
The gold-plated medal, with a diameter of 35 mm, features the large state coat of arms of the GDR (14.5 mm in diameter) set against a red background on the obverse side. Encircling the coat of arms was the inscription: “FÜR DEN SCHUTZ DER ARBEITER UND BAUERNMACHT” (“FOR THE PROTECTION OF WORKERS AND FARMER POWER“). The border of the medal was adorned with a large golden laurel wreath, intersected at the bottom by two crossed daggers.
The reverse of the medal bears the four-line inscription “VERDIENTER – ANGEHÖRIGER – DER NATIONALEN – VOLKSARMEE“.
The medal was worn on the upper left side of the chest, affixed to a pentagonal clasp. The clasp was covered with a silver-gray ribbon featuring two vertical red stripes.
