Presidential Unit Citation (United States)
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| Presidential Unit Citation | |
|---|---|
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| Awarded by United States Military | |
| Type | Ribbon and streamer |
| Eligibility | Military units |
| Awarded for | "[G]allantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions." |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Statistics | |
| First awarded | 1941 |
| Last awarded | Ongoing |
| Precedence | |
| Same | Presidential Unit Citation |
| Individual equivalent |
Service Crosses: Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Next (lower) | Defense – Joint Meritorious Unit Award Army – Valorous Unit Award  Navy – Unit Commendation Air Force – Gallant Unit Citation Coast Guard – Unit Commendation  |
  Streamers for the Presidential Unit Citation (top: USA and USAF PUC Streamer; bottom: Army and Air Force Streamer for the award of the Navy and Marine Corps PUC) |
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- Please see "Presidential Unit Citation" for other nations' versions of this award
The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of American involvement in World War II). The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross or Navy Cross to an individual.
Contents |
[edit] Army and Air Force
The Army citation was established as the Distinguished Unit Citation on 26 February 1942, and received its present name on 3 November 1966. All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they personally participated in the acts for which the unit was cited. Only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award. For the Army and Air Force, the emblem itself is a solid blue ribbon enclosed in a gold frame. As with other citation decorations, the Army's is in a larger frame that is worn above the right pocket. The Citation is carried on the unit's regimental colours in the form of a blue streamer, four feet long and 2 3/4 inches wide.
[edit] Navy and Marine
The Navy citation is the unit equivalent of a Navy Cross and was established on 6 February 1942.
The Navy version has blue, yellow, and red horizontal stripes. To distinguish between the two versions of the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy version is typically referred to as the Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation while the Army and Air Force refer to the decoration simply as the Presidential Unit Citation. These are only worn by persons who meet the criteria at the time it is awarded to the unit. Unlike the Army, those who later join the unit do not wear it on a temporary basis.
[edit] Special Clasps
[edit] USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
To commemorate the first submerged voyage under the North Pole by the nuclear-powered submarine Nautilus in 1958, all members of her crew who made that voyage were authorized to wear their Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of a gold block letter N. (see image below)[1]
[edit] USS Triton (SSRN-586)
To commemorate the first submerged circumnavigation of the world by the nuclear-powered submarine Triton during its shakedown cruise in 1960, all members of her crew who made that voyage were authorized to wear their Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of a golden replica of the globe. (see image below)[2]
[edit] USS Parche (SSN-683)
The most decorated unit in U.S. Navy history was the nuclear-powered submarine Parche, with a total of nine PUCs awarded during its 30 years of service.[3]
[edit] Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard units may be awarded either the Navy or Coast Guard version of the Presidential Unit Citation, depending on which service the Coast Guard was supporting when the citation action was performed.
A Coast Guard version of the award was awarded to the entire U.S. Coast Guard, including the Coast Guard Auxiliary, by President George W. Bush for Hurricane Katrina rescue and relief operations. All Coast Guard members who received the award are authorized to wear the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of the internationally recognized “hurricane symbol”
[edit] Recipients
[edit] World War II
[edit] U.S. Army
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101st Airborne Division | U.S. Army | 1944 | Normandy | Division and 1st Brigade only |
| 101st Airborne Division | U.S. Army | 1944 | Battle of Bastogne | Division and 1st Brigade only |
| 26th Infantry Division | U.S. Army | 1945 | Ardennes-Alsace | |
| 761st Tank Battalion | U.S. Army | 1978 | ETO, WW II | |
| 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Art. | U.S. Army | Guadalcanal | Army citation | |
| 695th Armored Field Artillery Battalion | U.S. Army | 1945 | Invasion behind enemy lines and capture of the French city Metz. | |
| 34th Field Artillery | US Army | 1943 | North Africa | |
| 82nd Airborne Division | U.S. Army | 1944 | 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment -- D-Day - Normandy - Sainte-Mère-Église | |
| 82nd Airborne Division | U.S. Army | 1944 | 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment -- Operation Market Garden - Groesbeck, Holland | |
| 96th Infantry Division | U.S. Army | 2001 | Okinawa | Entire Division |
| 44th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion | U.S. Army | 1945 | France | 2nd Battalion and one platoon of Company A, 749th Tank Battalion and one platoon of Company A, 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Defensive action starting on December 31, 1944 against the German offensive Operation Nordwind in Rimling France. |
| 82nd Airborne Division | U.S. Army | 1945 | 503rd Parachute Infantry -- Liberation the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, in 1945. | |
| 222nd Infantry Regiment | U.S. Army | 2001 | Alsace | 24 & 25 January 1945 withstood repeated attacks from three enemy divisions |
| Third Platoon, Company C 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion | U.S. Army | 1945 | Alsace | 14 December 1944 Set up their guns in full view of the enemy, acting as a decoy so other units could attack and take the town of Climback, France |
| 5307th Composite Unit ("Merrill's Marauders") | U.S. Army | 1966[4] | northern Burma | |
| 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion | U.S. Army | 1942 | Battle of El Guettar | 23 March 1942 broke up an attack by strong elements of the 10th Panzer Division, destroying 37 tanks and receiving the Presidential Unit Citation. This has the interesting distinction of being the only time a battalion would fight in the way envisaged by the original "tank destroyer" concept, as an organized independent unit opposing an armored force in open terrain. Received a second Presidential Unit Citation for heavy action in the Colmar Pocket, destroying 18 tanks. |
351st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion 5 days of heavy combat 9 July to 13 July 1944. 425 prisoners taken, 250 enemy killed or wounded.
[edit] U.S. Army Air Force
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3d Fighter Group, Fourteenth Air Force | U.S. Army | 1945 | Mission "A", China | |
| 2d Bombardment Group | U.S. Army | 1944 | 24 February 1944 Mission 150 to Steyr, Austria | |
| 2d Bombardment Group | U.S. Army | 1944 | 25 February 1944 Mission 151 to Regensburg, Germany. Marks the only time in U.S. military aviation history that a unit is awarded back to back citations for actions on successive days.[4] |
Task Force K-bar 2002 Afganistan
[edit] U.S. Navy
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Enterprise (CV-6) | U.S. Navy | 1943 | Air raids on the Marshall Islands (1942), Doolittle Raid, Battle of Midway, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Guadalcanal Campaign | Navy Citation, for 7 December 1941 to 15 November 1942. First aircraft carrier to received the PUC. Most decorated U.S. Navy ship from WWII.[5] |
| USS Trigger (SS-237) | U.S. Navy | 1943 | U.S. submarine campaign against the Japanese Empire | Navy Citation, for fifth, sixth, and seventh war patrols - 30 April to 8 December 1943 |
| Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) | U.S. Navy | 1943 | Battle of Midway | For first combat mission, 4 June 1942 |
| Mine Division 34 (Pacific Fleet) | U.S. Navy | 1945 | Borneo | USS Sentry (Flagship) -- Borneo Liberation Support |
| USS Pope (DD-225) | U.S. Navy | 1942, 1944 |
Java Campaign, ending with Second Battle of the Java Sea |
Navy Citation... “(f)or extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Java Campaign in the Southwest Pacific War Area, from January 23 to March 1, 1942...".[5] |
| Task Unit 77.4.3 | U.S. Navy | 1944 | Battle off Samar | USS Aaron Ward (DD-34) "For extraordinary heroism in action as a Picket Ship on Radar Picket Station during a coordinated attack by approximately twenty-five Japanese aircraft near Okinawa on May 3, 1945. Shooting down two Kamikazes which approached in determined suicide dives, the U.S.S. AARON WARD was struck by a bomb from a third suicide plane as she fought to destroy this attacker before it crashed into her superstructure and sprayed the entire area with flaming gasoline. Instantly flooded in her after engineroom and fireroom, she battled against flames and exploding ammunition on deck and, maneuvering in a tight circle because of damage to her steering gear, countered another coordinated suicide attack and destroyed three Kamikazes in rapid succession. Still smoking heavily and maneuvering radically, she lost all power when her forward fireroom flooded under a seventh suicide plane which dropped a bomb close aboard and dived in flames into the main deck. Unable to recover from this blow before an eighth bomber crashed into her superstructure bulkhead only a few seconds later, she attempted to shoot down a ninth Kamikaze diving toward her at high speed and, despite the destruction of nearly all her gun mounts aft when this plane struck her, took under fire the tenth bomb-laden plane, which penetrated the dense smoke to crash on board with a devastating explosion. With fires raging uncontrolled, ammunition exploding and all engine spaces except the forward engineroom flooded as she settled in the water and listed to port, she began a nightlong battle to remain afloat and, with the assistance of a towing vessel, finally reached port the following morning. By her superb fighting spirit and the courage and determination of her entire company, the AARON WARD upheld the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service." |
[edit] U.S. Marine Corps
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Marine Regiment | US. Marine Corps | Battle of Guam (1944) | Navy citation | |
| Marine Fighter Sq 214 | U.S. Marine Corps | 1944 | the Black Sheep Squadron -- for their second combat tour, lasting 84 days at the end of 1943 | |
| Second Marine Division (reinforced), consisting of Division Headquarters, Special Troops (including Company C, 1st Corps Medium Tanks Battalion), Service Troops, 2nd, 6th, 8th 10th and 18th Regiments | U.S. Marine Corps | 1943 | Battle of Tarawa | Navy Citation... "For outstanding performance in combat during the seizure and occupation of the Japanese-held Atoll of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, November 20 to 24, 1943." |
[edit] Korean War
| Unit | Servce | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co A, 5th Infantry & Secti 1, Machinegun Plt, Co D, 5th Infantry | U.S. Army | 1953 | Songnae-dong | Army citation |
| 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Art. | U.S. Army | Nam River | Army citation | |
| 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Art. | U.S. Army | Pakchon | Army citation | |
| 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Art. | U.S. Army | Wonju-Hwachon | Navy citation | |
| 2nd Infantry Division | U.S. Army | 1951 | Korean War | |
| 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry | U.S. Army | 195? | CHOKSONG | Army citation |
| 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry | U.S. Army | 195? | KOWANG-NI | Army citation |
| 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry | U.S. Army | 195? | SEGOK | Army citation |
| Battery C, 1st 4.5" Rocket Battalion | U.S. Marine Corps | Several Dates | Korean War | 15Sep-11Oct50, 21-26Apr51, 16May-30Jun51, 11-25Sep51 |
| 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. | Australian Army | April, 1951 | Kapyong | Army Citation |
| Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment | Canadian Army | April, 1951 | Kapyong, Korean War | |
| 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment | British Army | 1951 | Battle of the Imjin River, Korean War | |
| Troop C. 170th Independant Mortar Battery, Royal Artillery | British Army | 1951 | Battle of the Imjin River, Korean War |
[edit] Vietnam War
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Infantry Division | U.S. Army | 1966 | Battle of Dak To | 1st Brigade only |
| 101st Airborne Division | U.S. Army | Battle of Dak To | 1st Brigade only | |
| 101st Airborne Division | U.S. Army | Battle of Dong Ap Bia Mountain | 3rd Brigade Only | |
| 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment | U.S. Army | Hau Nghia-Binh Duong | Tet Offensive near Saigon, Hq. Troop (1st Sqdn.), Troops A,B,C and Company D only | |
| VO-67 | U.S. Navy | 2007 | Vietnam War | November 1967 to July 1968 |
| MACV-SOG | 2001 | Second Indochina War | ||
| 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, Army | U.S. Army | 1969 | 18 August 1968 to 20 September 1968 [6] | |
| 9th Marines | U.S. Marine Corps | Operation Dewey Canyon | 22 January 1969 to 18 March 1969 | |
| 26th Marines | U.S. Marine Corps | 21 September 1969 to 19 March 1970 SU 1st MarDiv (26th Regiment) | ||
| 26th Marines | U.S. Marine Corps | 20 November 1968 to 7 December 1968 SU 1st MarDiv (BLT only) | ||
| 26th Marines | U.S. Marine Corps | 1 April 1968 to 26 August 1968 SU 1st MarDiv, (H&S only) | ||
| 26th Marines | U.S. Marine Corps | 20 January 1968 to 31 March 1968 SU 26th Mar | ||
| 1st Mobile Communications Group | U.S Air Force | 1969 | Vietnam War | 1 January 1967 to 15 February 1968 The only Air Force unit to have received the PUC during the Vietnam War. |
[edit] Operation Iraqi Freedom
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit | U.S. Marine Corps | 2003 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Navy Citation |
| 3rd Infantry Division | U.S. Army | 2003 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Army Citation |
| 1st Marine Division | U.S. Marine Corps | 2003 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Navy Citation |
| 1st Marine Expeditionary Force | U.S. Marine Corps | 2003 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Navy Citation |
| 9th Communications Battalion | U.S. Marine Corps | 2003 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Navy Citation |
| First Naval Construction Division - 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF - Engineer Group (I MEG) | U.S. Navy | 2003 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Navy Citation, for 31 March to 24 April 2003 [7] |
| NSW Task Group-Central, NSW Squadron 3, and NSW Unit 3 | U.S. Navy | 2006 | Operation Iraqi Freedom | Navy Citation [8] |
[edit] Cold War
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Parche (SSN-683) | US Navy | various | Operation Ivy Bells | Navy Citations; awarded nine PUC, the most for any unit in the history of the U.S. Navy. [9] |
| USS Halibut (SSN-587) | US Navy | 1972 | Operation Ivy Bells | Navy Citation. [10][11] |
| USS Halibut (SSN-587) | US Navy | 1968 | Operation Sand Dollar | Navy Citation for search mission to locate the sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 (Project Jennifer). [12] |
| USS Triton (SSRN-586) | US Navy | 1960 | Operation Sandblast | Navy Citation for the first submerged circumnavigation made during its shakedown cruise, for 16 February 1960 to 10 May 1960; second peacetime PUC awarded to a unit of the U.S. Navy.[13] |
| USS Nautilus (SSN-571) | US Navy | 1958 | Operation Sunshine | Navy Citation for the first submerged voyage under the North Pole, for 22 July 1958 to 5 August 1958; first peacetime PUC awarded to a unit of the U.S. Navy.[14] |
[edit] Other actions
| Unit | Service | Year awarded | Campaign or battle | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Coast Guard | US Coast Guard | 2006 | Hurricane Katrina | Entire Coast Guard (including auxiliary and civilians) |
[edit] Non-U.S. recipients
[edit] World War II
Two units of the Free French Forces were awarded Presidential Unit Citations during the Second World War. The first was the 2nd Armored Division, which received the award after the liberation of Strasbourg; the second was the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, which received it in 1946 with the inscription 'Rhine-Bavarian Alps'.
The 1st Fighter Group of the Força Aérea Brasileira (the Brazilian Air Force) received the award on 22 April 1986 for its bravery during the Italian Campaign in World War II.
[edit] Korean War
The 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment and Troop C, 170th Independent Mortar Battery of the British Army were both awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their defence of a hill whilst surrounded during the Battle of the Imjin River. The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were awarded the citation for their actions during the Battle of Kapyong, shortly afterwards.
One Dutch unit, the Netherlands Detachment United Nations, part of the Regiment Van Heutsz, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice for actions during the Korean War. The first citation was awarded after the battle near Wonju and Hoengson in February 1951. The unit was awarded a second time for its bravery during the Soyang River Battle in May-June 1951.
One South African unit, the 2 Squadron SAAF was also awarded this honour, presented in August, 1956.
President Harry Truman signed a Distinguished Unit Citation (now the Presidential Unit Citation) on July 11, 1951 for the Turkish Brigade's acts of heroism. It reads: "The Turkish Brigade, a member of the United Nations Forces in Korea is cited for exceptionally outstanding performance of duty in combat in the area of Kumyangjang-ni, Korea, from 25 to 27 January 1951."
[edit] Vietnam War
A Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, on May 28, 1968, for the unit's actions at Long Tan, South Vietnam.
In 1977 the Presidential Unit Citation 1st Class was presented to New Zealand's 161 Battery in 1977 for service during the Vietnam War in 1965-66.[6] [7]
In 1971 the Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to the 3d Armored Cavalry Squadron Army of the Republic of Vietnam for extraordinary heroism during the period 1 January 1968 to 30 September 1968 in actions in Pleiku and Binh Dinh Provinces. (DA General Order No. 24, 27 April 1971.)
[edit] War in Afghanistan
In 2004, the New Zealand Special Air Service and the Canadian Joint Task Force 2, both special operations units working with Task Force K-BAR, were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for service in the War in Afghanistan.
On December 7, 2004 the Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) of the German Bundeswehr for their actions in Afghanistan.
On March 8, 2005, the Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK) of the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Army Presidential Unit Citaion to Hærens Jegerkommando (HJK) of the Norwegian Army for their actions in Afghanistan.
[edit] See also
- Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
- Presidential Unit Citation (Vietnam)
- Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)
- Awards and decorations of the United States military
- Non US Winners of US gallantry awards
[edit] Notes
- ^ [1]AMTRAC.ORG - Navy Presidential Unit Citation Page.
- ^ [2]Citation - Presidential Unit Citation for making the first submerged circumnavigation of the world.
- ^ [3]Navy News article reprint "USS Parche Dedicates Sail to Museum" by PO2 Maebel Tinoko dated August 29, 2007
- ^ Sredl, K editor: "Defenders of Liberty", page 213. Turner Publishing Co., 1996
- ^ James Forrestal, Sec of the Navy, for the President. For entire text of this PUC, see http://www.destroyerhistory.org/flushdeck/usspope/citation225.html
- ^ 161 Bty in Vietnam
- ^ SAS soldiers awarded rare presidential honour - 24 May 2007 - War news - NZ Herald
[edit] References
- Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual. United States Marine Corps Unit Awards Manual. United States Marine Corps (October 01, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- Secretary of the Navy Instruction for awards. Awards Manual. United States Marine Corps (September 18, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
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