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Tennessee Fallen Hero Medal — for the Immediate Survivor of an Active Duty Death

A state medal, with the recipient’s name inscribed on the case, presented by the governor to the immediate survivor of an active duty service member killed in action or in a designated combat zone. It cannot be awarded for a death before 1 July 2011.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

A state medal, with the recipient’s name inscribed on the case, presented by the governor to the immediate survivor of an active duty service member killed in action or in a designated combat zone. It cannot be awarded for a death before 1 July 2011.

What it's worth: A state medal, inscribed with the recipient’s name, presented to the immediate survivor

  • This is a recognition award and carries no payment. It is published because families are entitled to know it exists and to ask for it.
  • The medal is awarded solely by the governor or the governor’s designee, to the immediate survivor of the recipient.
  • It cannot be awarded retroactively for a death before 1 July 2011, when the law took effect.

Who is entitled to it

  • The medal is awarded to the immediate survivor.
  • Your home is in Tennessee.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Check the date first. The medal cannot be awarded for a death that occurred before 1 July 2011, so a family of an earlier casualty is outside it.
  2. 2Check the circumstances against the four the department lists: engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; engaged in military support operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; or serving in a combat zone as designated by presidential order.
  3. 3Confirm the two status conditions: the recipient must have been an active duty service member and a legal resident of Tennessee.
  4. 4Approach the Department of Veterans Services to begin the request. The award is made by the governor or the governor’s designee, so it is not something a county office can issue.
  5. 5Ask about the Honor and Remember Flag at the same time. It is a separate recognition the department also administers for families of the fallen.
  6. 6Ask what documentation the department needs on the residency point, because legal residence at the time of death is the condition families most often struggle to evidence.
Form
A request to the Department of Veterans Services
File with
Tennessee Department of Veterans Services
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
CorrectionThe 1 July 2011 cut-off is absolute on the department’s own page. A family told the medal can be requested for an earlier loss is being told something the department contradicts.
Worth knowingThe medal is presented to the immediate survivor, not to the estate and not to a unit. Who counts as the immediate survivor is worth settling with the department before the request goes in.
Known gapThe department’s page gives no Tennessee Code section for the medal, and no statutory text was read this session, so the definition of "immediate survivor" is unverified here.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.