<figure class="image-550">
<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-29/marcos-medals.webp" alt="A vintage historical photograph of a young Major Ferdinand Edralin Marcos in a military uniform and garrison cap, looking upward and to the left with military medals pinned to his shirt pocket."
<figcaption>
Major Ferdinand Edralin Marcos at the end of World War II in 1946, pictured in his military uniform displaying three United States military decorations.
</figcaption>
</figure>


The ceremony was a high-profile affair, featuring an prestigious international guest: General Abdul Haris Nasution, the Indonesian Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense, who was in Manila for a three-day state visit. According to official military announcements at the time, these medals recognized Marcos's heroic actions in Bataan as a guerrilla leader and during the 1945 liberation campaign against the Japanese Empire - actions that had occurred nearly two decades prior but had supposedly never been formally presented.


<h2>
The Flurry of General Orders
</h2>

A closer look at the military registry reveals an extraordinary timeline. Out of the 33 total war medals Ferdinand Marcos claimed throughout his lifetime, 11 were given to him in 1963 alone. In fact, nine of the ten medals pinned on his chest during the December 21 ceremony were officially granted via Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Orders issued just one day earlier, on <time datetime="1963-12-20">December 20, 1963</time>.



The honors bestowed during this single event included:

<ul class="k-list">
<li>
Two Distinguished Conduct Stars (the Philippines' second-highest military award for gallantry)
</li>
<li>
Two Distinguished Service Stars
</li>
<li>
Three Gold Cross Medals
</li>
<li>
Three Wounded Soldier's Medals
</li>
</ul>


In a highly unusual move, the three Wounded Soldier's Medals were all granted under a single document - General Order No. 155 - for three separate injuries Marcos allegedly sustained years apart: twice in Bataan (<time datetime="1942-04-05">April 5</time> and <time datetime="1942-04-07">April 7, 1942</time>) and once in Kiangan, Mountain Province (<time datetime="1945-03-17">March 17, 1945</time>).

Ferdinand Marcos's 10 War Medals: Myth vs. Reality

Why did Ferdinand Marcos receive 10 war medals in a single day in 1963? Uncover the political theater and historical evidence that debunked the myth.

The 1963 Marcos Medal Controversy: Context Behind His 10 Awards