Criteria: Awarded to U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel for service in the Yangtze River Valley between the dates of September 3, 1926 and December 31, 1932. The decoration may also be awarded for those military service members who served on permanent duty in Shanghai, China, provided such service was in direct support of landing operations in the Yangtze River Valley. The Yangtze Service Medal was declared obsolete in 1940 when it was replaced by the China Service Medal.