The medal's obverse bears a guitar playing youth with long hair. The reverse bears a soldier in uniform bearing a fallen or wounded comrade on his shoulder.
This design by Miko Kaufman was chosen as the 87th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It uses the two sides to highlight the split that ran deep through American society in the 1970's. The Vietnam war had polarized society and anti-war groups, symbolized by the guitar-playing youth on the obverse, were at odds with what had previously been mainstream culture, symbolized by the soldier rescuing a wounded comrade on the reverse.
Kaufman wrote in the brochure that accompanied the medal:
"As a whole, this artist's timely message and reminder to those who care to reflect, as we are pulling out of the Vietnam morass, that all our knowledge and philosophy has yet to help tame mankind's worst enemy—man, himself."
The circular medal measures 73mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 1,700 pieces in bronze and 175 in silver.
This was the first new issue for which both bronze and silver medals were offered.
References: MACo 1930-001-087, SoM 87
