Presidential Unit Citation (US)

Please see "Presidential Unit Citation

Presidential Unit Citation

The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy....
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I served with the 26th marinr regt. from sept 1967 to oct 1968 attach. to 1stmardiv and 3rdmardiv. W...

I served with the 26th marinr regt. from sept 1967 to oct 1968 attach. to 1stmardiv and 3rdmardiv. W...

Please see "Presidential Unit Citation

Presidential Unit Citation

The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy....
" for other nations' versions of this award

Army and Air Force

Navy and Marine

Special Clasps

USS Nautilus (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus was the world's first operational Nuclear marine propulsion submarine and the first vessel to complete a submerged transit across the North Pole....
 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.

To commemorate the first submerged circumnavigation

Circumnavigation

To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth, is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship. More recently, the term has also been used to cover aerial round-the-world flights....
 of the world by the nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586)

USS Triton (SSRN-586)

USS Triton , a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine, was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth, accomplishing this during her shakedown cruise in early 1960....
 during its shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....
 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.

The most decorated unit in U.S. Navy history was the nuclear-powered submarine USS Parche (SSN-683)

USS Parche (SSN-683)

USS Parche , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the parche , a small, coral reef butterfly fish.The contract to build her was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi on 25 June 1968 and her keel was laid down on 10 December 1970....
, with a total of nine PUCs awarded during its 30 years of service.

Coast Guard

Recipients

World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....

Unit	Service	Year awarded	Campaign or battle	Other notes
101st Airborne Division 101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division ? the "Screaming Eagles"? is a U.S. Army modular infantry division trained for air assault military operation....	U.S. Army	1944	Normandy Normandy Campaign The Normandy Campaign can refer to:* Operation Overlord - The Western Allied campaign in France from June 6 - August 25, 1944* The Invasion of Normandy - The initial part of Overlord, from June 6 - mid-July, 1944...	Division and 1st Brigade only
101st Airborne Division 101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division ? the "Screaming Eagles"? is a U.S. Army modular infantry division trained for air assault military operation....	U.S. Army	1944	Battle of Bastogne Battle of Bastogne The Siege of Bastogne was a smaller battle in and around the Belgium town of Bastogne, during the larger Battle of the Bulge. Success of the German offensive, seizure of the harbor at Antwerp with encirclement and destruction of Allied armies, required the German Army mechanized forces to use the roadways in order to maintain the speed of the...	Division and 1st Brigade only
32nd Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1943	Kokoda Track campaign Kokoda Track campaign The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought from July to November 1942 between Japanese and Allies of World War II — primarily Australian — forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua .... , Battle of Buna-Gona Battle of Buna-Gona The Battle of Buna?Gona was a battle in the New Guinea campaign, a major part of the Pacific War of World War II. On November 16, 1942, Australian and United States forces began to attack the main Empire of Japanese beachheads in New Guinea, at Buna, Papua New Guinea, Sanananda and Gona....	General Orders Number 21, War Department, 6 May 1943: "When (a) bold and aggressive enemy invaded Papua in strength, the combined action of ground and air units of these forces, in association with Allied units, checked the hostile advance, drove the enemy back to the seacoast and in a series of actions against a highly organized defensive zone, utterly destroyed him. Ground combat forces, operating over roadless jungle-covered mountains and swamps, demonstrated their courage and resourcefulness in closing with an enemy who took every advantage of the nearly impassable terrain. Air forces, by repeatedly attacking the enemy ground forces and installations, by destroying his convoys attempting reinforcement and supply, and by transporting ground forces and supplies to areas for which land routes were non-existent and sea routes slow and hazardous, made possible the success of the ground operations. Service units, operating far forward of their normal positions and at times in advance of ground combat elements, built landing fields in the jungle, established and operated supply points, and provided for the hospitalization and evacuation of the wounded and sick. The courage, spirit, and devotion to duty of all elements of the command made possible the complete victory attained."
26th Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1945	Ardennes-Alsace Battle of the Bulge The Ardennes Offensive was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes of Belgium , France and Luxembourg on the Western Front ....
70th Infantry Division	U.S. Army	1945	Wingen Wingen Wingen may refer to any of the following places:* Wingen, New South Wales in Australia* Wingen, Bas-Rhin, in the arrondissement of Wissembourg in the communes of the Bas-Rhin department in France...	2nd Battalion, 274th Infantry Regiment only
Combat Command "B", 7th Armored Division	U.S. Army	1948	St. Vith (Ardennes Campaign) Battle of the Bulge The Ardennes Offensive was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes of Belgium , France and Luxembourg on the Western Front ....	Dept. of the Army GO #48, dated 12 July 1948: "Combat Command B. 7th Armored Division, composed of the following units: Headquarters and Headquarters Company; 17th Tank Battalion; 31st Tank Battalion; 23d Armored Infantry Battalion; 38th Armored Infantry Battalion; 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized (less Troop D); 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion; 434th Armored Field Artillery Battalion; 965th Field Artillery Battalion; 168th Engineer Combat Battalion; 1st Platoon, Company F, 423d Infantry Regiment (amended from 3rd Platoon in Defense Department Permanent Order #032-01, dated 1 Feb 1999); Company B, 33d Armored Engineer Battalion; and Company A, 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion (SP), is cited for outstanding performance of duty in action from 17 to 23 December 1944, inclusive, at St. Vith, Belgium. Combat Command B, 7th Armored Division, was subjected to repeated tank and infantry attacks, which grew in intensity as the German forces attempted to destroy the stubborn defenses that were denying to them the use of the key communication center at St. Vith. By the second day, the flanks were constantly threatened by enemy forces that had bypassed the St. Vith area and pushed far to the rear in an effort to encircle the command east of the Salm River. The attacking forces were repeatedly thrown back by the gallant troops who rose from their fox holes and fought in fierce hand to hand combat to stop the penetrations and inflict heavy losses on the numerically superior foe. As the command continued to deny the important St. Vith highway and railroad center to the Germans, the entire offensive lost its initial impetus and their supply columns became immobilized. By 21 December, the German timetable was so disrupted that the enemy was forced to divert a corps to the capture of St. Vith. Under extreme pressure from overwhelming forces, this command, which for 6 days had held the St. Vith area so gallantly, was ordered to withdraw west of the Salm River. By their epic stand, without prepared defenses and despite heavy casualties, Combat Command B,. 7th Armored Division inflicted crippling losses and imposed great delay upon the enemy by a masterful and grimly determined defense in keeping with the highest traditions of the Army of the United States."
761st Tank Battalion	U.S. Army	1978	ETO European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations , is the term used in the United States to refer to US operations north of Italy and the Mediterranean coast, in the European Theatre of World War II.... , WW II
1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Art.	U.S. Army		Guadalcanal Guadalcanal Guadalcanal is a 2,510-square mile island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. The World War II Guadalcanal Campaign happened on and around the island....	Army citation
146th Engineer (Combat) Battalion	U.S. Army	1944	Operation Overlord Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of Western Front during World War II by Western Allies forces. The operation began with the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 , among the largest amphibious warfares ever conducted....	Landed H+03 minutes, Omaha Beach, D-Day, June 6, 1944
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
51st Combat Engineer Battalion	US Army	1945	Ardennes	Defense of several key Belgian cities against Kampfgruppe Peiper between December 17-22, 1944.
82nd Airborne Division	U.S. Army	1944		505th Parachute Infantry Regiment -- D-Day - Normandy - Sainte-Mère-Église Sainte-Mère-Église Sainte-M?re-?glise is a Communes of France in the Manche Departments of France in Normandy in northwestern France....
82nd Airborne Division	U.S. Army	1944		505th Parachute Infantry Regiment -- Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in World War II. It was the largest airborne operation of all time....  - Groesbeek Groesbeek Media:Nl-Groesbeek.ogg is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.... , Holland
82nd Airborne Division	U.S. Army	1944		551st Parachute Infantry Battalion 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion was for many years a little-recognized unit of the United States Army during World War II and the Battle of the Bulge.... —Battle of the Bulge Battle of the Bulge The Ardennes Offensive was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes of Belgium , France and Luxembourg on the Western Front .... , Rochelinval, Belgium The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion is cited for exceptional heroism in performance of duty in combat against the enemy at the beginning of the American counteroffensive in the Ardennes, Belgium, culminating in its heroic attack and seizure of the critical, heavily fortified, regimental German position of Rochelinval on the Salm River. A separate battalion attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, the 551st began its grueling days as the Division's spearhead by successfully executing a raid on advanced German positions at Noirfontaine on 27 and 28 December 1944, delivering to XVIII Airborne Corps vital intelligence for the Allied counteroffensive soon to come. On 3 January 1945, the 551st from the division's line of departure at Basse Bodeux attacked against great odds and secured the imposing ridge of Herispehe. Punished by artillery, mortar and machine gun fire as it moved across open, up slope terrain, the battalion lost its forward artillery observers, causing an acute lack of artillery support for its week-long push against two German regiments. On 4 January, the battalion conducted a rare fixed bayonet attack of machine gun nests that killed 64 Germans. On 5 and 6 January, the 551st captured the towns of Dairomont and Quartiers, parrying German counterattacks while often fighting in hand-to-hand combat. At less than half strength, on 7 January the battalion confronted its final critical objective: Rochelinval on the Salm River. Initially repelled into a hailstorm of artillery and machine gun fire toward a high ridge of entrenched enemy, the 551st finally overwhelmed the defenders and captured Rochelinval, shutting off the last bridge of egress to the Germans in a 10 mile sector of the Salm River. The next day, January 8, Hitler ordered the German Army's first pullback from the Battle of the Bulge. In fighting a numerically superior foe with dominant high ground advantage, the 551st lost over four-fifths of its men, including the death of its inspirational commander, Lieutenant Colonel Wood Joerg, as he led the last attack. Disbanded a month later, the battalion accounted for 400 German dead, and took over 300 prisoners. The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion fought with a tenacity and fervor that was extraordinary. In what United States Army historian Charles MacDonald called "the greatest battle ever fought by the United States Army," the 551st demonstrated the very best of the Army tradition of performance of duty in spite of great sacrifice and against all odds. (Awarded on February 23, 2001 by U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki during an official ceremony at the Pentagon.)
96th Infantry Division	U.S. Army	2001	Okinawa	Entire Division
44th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion	U.S. Army	1945	France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of 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.
503rd Regtimental Combat Team	U.S. Army	1945	Battle of Corregidor (1945)	Liberation the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, 16-26 February.
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 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion The 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion was a tank destroyer battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War. The 3rd Platoon, Company C, of the 614th was the first black unit to receive a Distinguished Unit Citation....	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 Merrill's Marauders Merrill?s Marauders, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit , was a United States long range penetration special forces unit in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II which fought in the Burma Campaign.... ")	U.S. Army	1966	northern Burma Burma Campaign The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II of World War II was fought primarily between Commonwealth of Nations, China and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, the Burmese Independence Army and the Indian National Army....
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	U.S. Army	1944		9 July to 13 July 1944 - Five days of heavy combat; 425 prisoners taken; 250 enemy killed or wounded.
100th Infantry Battalion (Separate)	U.S. Army	1944	Belvedere and Sassetta, Italy	War Department General Orders 66, 15 August 1944: 26 and 27 June 1944 - The stubborn desire of the men to close with a numerically superior enemy and the rapidity with which they fought enabled the 100th Infantry Battalion to destroy completely the right flank positions of a German army, killing at least 178 Germans, wounding approximately 20, capturing 73, and forcing the remainder of a completely disrupted battalion to surrender approximately 10 kilometers of ground. In addition, large quantities of enemy weapons, vehicles, and equipment were either captured or destroyed.
100th Infantry Battalion, 442 Regimental Combat Team	U.S. Army	1944	Bruyeres, Biffontaine, and in the Foret Domaniale de Champ, France	War Department General Orders 78, 12 September 1945: 15 to 30 October 1944 - The 100th Battalion was again committed to the attack. Going to the rescue of the "lost battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, it fought without respite for 4 days against a fanatical enemy that was determined to keep the "lost battalion" isolated and force its surrender. On the fourth day, although exhausted and reduced through casualties to about half its normal strength, the battalion fought doggedly forward against strong enemy small-arms and mortar fire until it contacted the isolated unit.
442 Regimental Combat Team	U.S. Army	1945	Serravezza, Carrara, and Fosdinovo, Italy	War Department General Orders 34, 10 April 1946, as amended by War Department General Orders 106, 20 September 1946: 5 to 14 April 1945 - It accomplished the mission of creating a diversion along the Ligurian Coast, which served as a feint for the subsequent break-through of the Fifth Army forces into Bologna and the Po Valley. The successful accomplishment of this mission turned a diversionary action into a full scale and victorious offensive, which played an important part in the dual destruction of the German armies In Italy.
2d Battalion, 442 Regimental Combat Team	U.S. Army	1944-5	Bruyeres, France; Biffontaine, France; and Massa, Italy	War Department General Orders 83, 6 August 1946: 19 October 1944, 28 and 29 October 1944, 6 to 10 April 1945 - The 2d Battalion executed a brilliant tactical operation in capturing Hill 503, to expedite the forward movement beyond Bruyeres, France and to erase the German threat from the rear. On 28 October 1944, the 2d Battalion secured its objective in a 2-day operation, which eliminated a threat to the flanks of two American divisions. In the face of intense enemy barrages and numerous counterattacks, the infantrymen of this battalion fought their way through difficult jungle-like terrain in freezing weather and completely encircled the enemy. Maintaining its admirable record of achievement in the vicinity of Massa, Italy the 2d Battalion smashed through and exploited the strong Green Line on the Ligurian Coast. Surging over formidable heights through strong resistance, the 2d Battalion, in 5 days of continuous, heavy fighting, captured a series of objectives to pave the way for the entry into the important communications centers of Massa and Carrara, Italy, without opposition. In this operation, the 2d Battalion accounted for more than 200 Germans and captured or destroyed large quantities of enemy materiel.
3d Battalion, 442 Regimental Combat Team	U.S. Army	1944	Biffontaine, France	War Department General Orders 68, 14 August 1945: 27 to 30 October 1944 - One of the battalions of another unit which had been advancing deep into enemy territory beyond the town of Biffontaine was suddenly surrounded by the enemy, and separated from all friendly units by an enemy force estimated at 700 men. The mission of the 3id Battalion was to attack abreast with the 100th Battalion and four other battalions and relieve the entrapped unit. Though seriously depleted in manpower, the battalion hurled back two determined enemy counterattacks, and after reducing a heavily mined roadblock finally established contact with the besieged battalion.
Companies F and L, 442 Regimental Combat Team	U.S. Army	1944	Belmont, France	War Department General Orders 14, 4 March 1945: 21 October 1944 - Companies F and L, 442d Regimental Combat Team, designated the O'Connor Task Force, launched an attack down the north slope of the wooded ridge, Foret de Belmont. In destroying the enemy main line of resistance and advancing the divisional front lines by approximately 2,000 meters, the task force captured 56 prisoners, killed 80 of the enemy, and captured considerable quantifies of enemy materiel and equipment.
232d Engineer Combat Company (then attached to the 111th Engineer Combat Battalion)	U.S. Army	1944	Bruyeres, France	War Department General Orders 56, 17 June 1946: 23 October to 11 November 1944 - Even though the engineers sustained 57 casualties in dead and wounded, they captured 27 German prisoners and killed many more as they worked. Almost continuous rain and snow made their task more difficult, and yet by sheer determination and grit, these men accomplished this magnificent feat of engineering. Without this road, the division operation could not have succeeded and it is due to the extraordinary achievement of the 11th Engineer Combat Battalion with the 232d Engineer Combat Company (attached) that the 36th Division was able to outflank the enemy forces in the Laveline-Corcieux Valley and pursue a disorganized enemy to the banks of the Meurthe River.

Unit	Service	Year awarded	Campaign or battle	Other notes
3d Fighter Group, Fourteenth Air Force Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of Air Force Space Command . It is a functional echelon dedicated to space systems operations, responsible for missile warning, space surveillance, and range operations for the United States Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial space launches....	U.S. Army	1945	Mission "A", China
2d Bombardment Group	U.S. Army	1944	Mission 150	24 February 1944 mission to Steyr Steyr Steyr is a town in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria, located at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns .It has a long history as a manufacturing center, and has given its name to several manufacturers headquartered there, such as Steyr Mannlicher , Steyr Tractor, and Steyr Automobile.... , Austria
2nd Bombardment Group	U.S. Army	1944	Mission 151	25 February 1944 mission to Regensburg Regensburg Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen River rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube.... , 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.
46th Squadron, 21st Fighter group 21st Space Wing The 21st Space Wing is a unit of the Air Force Space Command based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The unit is tasked with the operation of early missile warning and space object detection equipment around the world in support of NORAD and United States Strategic Command through a network of command and control units and ground based s...	U.S. Army	1945		Cited 13 November 1945 for outstanding performance of duty in 7 April 1945 armed conflict with the enemy while escorting B-29 Superfortress B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine Fixed-wing aircraft#Propeller aircraft heavy bomber that was flown by the United States Military in World War II and the Korean War, and by other nations afterwards....  attack on the heavily-defended Nakajima Nakajima Nakajima may refer to:*Nakajima Aircraft Company*Nakajima, Ehime, a town in Japan*Nakajima, Fukushima, a village in Japan*Nakajima, Ishikawa, a town in Japan...  aircraft factory near Tokyo Tokyo , officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people.... . Launching from Iwo Jima, this was also the first fighter-escort of bombers over Japan.
330th Bombardment Group 330th Bombardment Group The 330th Bombardment Group was constituted on July 1, 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. It was assigned to Second Air Force as a B-24 Liberator Operational Training Unit and later as a Replacement Training Unit ....	U.S. Army	1945	Mission 27 & 46	The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for incendiary raids on the industrial sections of Tokushima and Gifu Gifu Gifu may refer to:*Gifu Prefecture, located in the Chubu region of central Japan*Gifu, Gifu, the capital city of Gifu Prefecture*Gifu , a region located in southcentral Gifu Prefecture...  and for a strike against the hydroelectric power center at Kofu, Japan, in Jul 1945. The group received another DUC for attacking the Nakajima-Musashino aircraft engine plant near Tokyo Tokyo , officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....  in Aug 1945

Unit	Service	Year awarded	Campaign or battle	Other notes
USS Alchiba (AKA-6)	U.S. Navy	1943	Guadalcanal Campaign Guadalcanal campaign The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal, was fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific War of World War II....	Navy Citation, for service at Guadalcanal from August through December 1942: "The vessel arrived off Guadalcanal on 7 August, disembarked her troops, unloaded her cargo, and left the Solomons two days later, bound for New Caledonia. Alchiba returned to Guadalcanal on 18 September. After unloading cargo to support marines struggling for that island, she sailed back to New Caledonia for more supplies and returned to Guadalcanal on 1 November. She was anchored off Lunga Point at 0616 on 28 November, when two torpedoes from the Japanese submarine 1-16 exploded on the vessel s port side. At that time, her hold was loaded with drums of gasoline and ammunition, and the resulting explosion shot flames in the air. The commanding officer ordered the ship to get underway to run her up on the beach. This action undoubtedly saved the ship. Hungry flames raged in the ship for over five days before weary fire fighting parties finally brought them under control. Salvage operations began soon thereafter. Most of her cargo was saved, and temporary repairs were in progress when Alchiba was torpedoed again on 7 December. An enemy submarine's conning tower had been spotted shortly before two torpedoes were fired. One passed close under the cargo ship's stern, but the other struck her port side near the engine room. The blast killed three men, wounded six others, and caused considerable structural damage. Once the fires and flooding were controlled, salvage operations resumed and enabled the ship to get underway for Tulagi on 27 December 1942."
USS Archerfish (SS-311) USS Archerfish (SS-311) USS Archer-Fish was a Balao class submarine submarine. She was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the archerfish, a family of fish notable for its ability to project a powerful spout of water at its insect prey....	U.S. Navy	1944	U.S. submarine campaign against the Japanese Empire Pacific War The Pacific War was the part of World War II?and preceding conflicts?that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, between July 7, 1937 and August 14, 1945....	The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the UNITED STATES SHIP ARCHERFISH for service as set forth in the following CITATION: "For extraordinary heroism in action during the Fifth War Patrol against enemy Japanese combatant units in restricted waters of the Pacific. Relentless in tracking an alert and powerful hostile force which constituted a potential threat to our vital operations in the Philippine area, the U.S.S. ARCHERFISH culminated a dogged six and one-half-hour pursuit by closing her high speed target, daringly penetrated the strong destroyer escort screen, and struck fiercely at a large Japanese aircraft carrier (SHINANO) with all six of her torpedoes finding their mark to sink this extremely vital enemy ship. Subjected to devastating air and surface anti-submarine measures, the ARCHERFISH skillfully evaded her attackers by deep submergence and returned to port in safety. Handled with superb seamanship, she responded gallantly to the fighting determination of the officers and men and dealt a fatal blow to one of the enemy's major Fleet units despite the most merciless Japanese opposition and rendered valiant service toward the ultimate destruction of a crafty and fanatic enemy." For the President, /s/ James Forrestal Secretary of the Navy
USS Barb (SS-220) USS Barb (SS-220) , a Gato class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the barbus.Her keel was laid down on 7 June 1941 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut....	U.S. Navy	1945	U.S. submarine campaign against the Japanese Empire Pacific War The Pacific War was the part of World War II?and preceding conflicts?that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, between July 7, 1937 and August 14, 1945....	The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the UNITED STATES SHIP BARB for service as set forth in the following CITATION: "For extraordinary heroism in action during the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh War Patrols against enemy Japanese surface forces in restricted waters of the Pacific. Persistent in her search for vital targets, the USS BARB relentlessly tracked down the enemy and struck with indomitable fury despite unfavorable attack opportunity and severe countermeasures. Handled superbly, she held undeviatingly to her aggressive course and, on contacting a concentration of hostile ships in the lower reaches of a harbor, boldly penetrated the formidable screen. Riding dangerously, surfaced, in shallow water, the BARB launched her torpedoes into the enemy group to score devastating hits on the major targets, thereafter retiring at high speed on the surface in a full hour's run through uncharted, heavily mined and rock obstructed waters. Inexorable in combat, the BARB also braved the perils of a topical typhoon to rescue fourteen British and Australian prisoners of war who had survived the torpedoing and sinking of a hostile transport ship en route from Singapore to the Japanese Empire. Determined in carrying the fight to the enemy, the BARB has achieved an illustrious record of gallantry in action, reflecting the highest credit upon her valiant officers and men and upon the United States Naval Service."
USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Enterprise , the "Big E", was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear that name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class aircraft carrier, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to survive the war ....	U.S. Navy	1943	Air raids on the Marshall Islands (1942) USS Enterprise (CV-6) USS Enterprise , the "Big E", was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear that name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class aircraft carrier, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to survive the war .... , Doolittle Raid Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942, was the first airstrike by the United States to strike a Japanese home island during World War II. It demonstrated that Japan itself was vulnerable to Allies of World War II air attack and provided an expedient means for U.S.... , Battle of Midway Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle, widely regarded as the most important of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II. It took place from 4 June to 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and exactly six months after Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.... , Battle of the Eastern Solomons Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons After several damaging airstrike, the Navy Surface ship combatants from both the United States of America and Empire of Japan withdrew from the battle area without either side securing a clear victory.... , Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 26, 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth aircraft carrier battle of the Pacific War of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the lengthy... , Naval Battle of Guadalcanal Naval Battle of Guadalcanal The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place between November 12 and November 15, 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles between Allies of World War II and Milita... , Guadalcanal Campaign Guadalcanal campaign The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal, was fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific War of World War II....	Navy Citation, for 7 December 1941 to 15 November 1942. First aircraft carrier Aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a navy force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations....  to received the PUC. Most decorated U.S. Navy ship from WWII. "For consistently outstanding performance and distinguished achievement during repeated action against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific war area, December 7, 1941, to November 15, 1942. Participating in nearly every major carrier engagement in the first year of the war, the Enterprise and her air group, exclusive of far-flung destruction of hostile shore installations throughout the battle area, did sink or damage on her own a total of 35 Japanese vessels and shoot down a total of 185 Japanese aircraft. Her aggressive spirit and superb combat efficiency are fitting tribute to the officers and men who so gallantly established her as an ahead bulwark in the defense of the American nation."
USS Houston (CA-30)	U.S. Navy	1942, 1944	Java Campaign, ending with Second Battle of the Java Sea Second Battle of the Java Sea The Second Battle of the Java Sea was the last naval action of the Netherlands East Indies campaign, of 1941?42. It occurred on 1 March 1942, two days after the first Battle of the Java Sea....	Navy Citation... "(f)or action in the Battle of Sunda Strait." Sunk in action with HMAS Perth against incredible odds. The two ships steamed into a Japanese invasion force and were sunk in the ensuing battle.
USS Hugh W. Hadley	U.S. Navy	1945	Battle of Okinawa Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa Island and was the largest amphibious warfare in the Pacific War of World War II....	USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) "For extraordinary heroism in action as Fighter Direction Ship on Radar Picket Station Number 15 during an attack by approximately 100 enemy Japanese planes, forty miles northwest of the Okinawa Transport Area, May 11, 1945. Fighting valiantly against waves of hostile suicide and dive-bombing planes plunging toward her from all directions, the U.S.S. HUGH HADLEY sent up relentless barrages of antiaircraft fire during one of the most furious air-sea battles of the war. Repeatedly finding her targets, she destroyed twenty enemy planes, skillfully directed her Combat Air Patrol in shooting down at least forty others and, by her vigilance and superb battle readiness, avoided damage to herself until subjected to a coordinated attack by ten Japanese planes. Assisting in the destruction of all ten of these, she was crashed by one bomb and three suicide planes with devastating effect. With all engineering spaces flooded and with a fire raging amidships, the gallant officers and men of the HUGH W. HADLEY fought desperately against almost insurmountable odds and, by their indomitable determination, fortitude and skill, brought the damage under control, enabling their ship to be towed to port and saved. Her brilliant performance in this action reflects the highest credit upon the HUGH W. HADLEY and the United States Naval Service."
USS Pope (DD-225) USS Pope (DD-225) USS Pope was a Clemson class destroyer destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named for John Pope ....	U.S. Navy	1942, 1944	Java Campaign, ending with Second Battle of the Java Sea Second Battle of the Java Sea The Second Battle of the Java Sea was the last naval action of the Netherlands East Indies campaign, of 1941?42. It occurred on 1 March 1942, two days after the first 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...".
USS Trigger (SS-237)	U.S. Navy	1943	U.S. submarine campaign against the Japanese Empire Pacific War The Pacific War was the part of World War II?and preceding conflicts?that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, between July 7, 1937 and August 14, 1945....	Navy Citation, for fifth, sixth, and seventh war patrols - 30 April to 8 December 1943
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) VT-8 Torpedo Squadron 8 was a United States Navy squadron of torpedo bombers assigned to the Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet ....	U.S. Navy	1943	Battle of Midway Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle, widely regarded as the most important of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II. It took place from 4 June to 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and exactly six months after Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor....	For first combat mission, 4 June 1942
Mine Division 34 (Pacific Fleet) USS Sentry (AM-299) USS Sentry was an Admirable-class Minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters....	U.S. Navy	1945	Borneo	USS Sentry (Flagship) -- Borneo Liberation Support
Task Unit 77.4.3	U.S. Navy	1944	Battle off Samar Battle off Samar The Battle off Samar was the central action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was one of the largest naval battle in history. As the only major action in the larger battle where the Americans were largely unprepared against the opposing forces, it has been cited by historians as one of the greatest military mismatches in naval history....	USS St Lo (CVE-63) and VC-65, USS White Plains (CVE-66) and VC-4, USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68) and VC-3, USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) and VC-68, USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) and VC-5, USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) and VC-10, USS Heerman (DD-532), USS Hoel (DD-533), USS Johnston (DD-557), USS Butler (DE-339), USS Raymond (DE-341), USS Dennis (DE-405), USS Samuel B Robert (DE-413) "For extraordinary heroism in action against powerful units of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle off Samar, Philippines, October 25, 1944. Silhouetted against the dawn as the Central Japanese Force steamed through San Bernardino Strait towards Leyte Gulf, Task Unit 77.4.3 was suddenly taken under attack by hostile cruisers on its port hand, destroyers on the starboard and battleships from the rear. Quickly laying down a heavy smoke screen, the gallant ships of the Task Unit waged battle fiercely against the superior speed and fire power of the advancing enemy, swiftly launching and rearming aircraft and violently zigzagging in protection of vessels stricken by hostile armor-piercing shells, anti-personnel projectiles and suicide bombers. With one carrier of the group sunk, others badly damaged and squadron aircraft courageously coordinating in the attacks by making dry runs over the enemy Fleet as the Japanese relentlessly closed in for the kill, two of the Unit's valiant destroyers and one destroyer escort charged the battleships point-blank and, expending their last torpedoes in desperate defense of the entire group, went down under the enemy's heavy shells as a climax to two and one half hours of sustained and furious combat. The courageous determination and the superb teamwork of the officers and men who fought the embarked planes and who manned the ships of Task Unit 77.4.3 were instrumental in effecting the retirement of a hostile force threatening our Leyte invasion operations and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." For the President, /signed/ JAMES FORRESTAL Secretary of the Navy This unit also awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Badge for the same action, dated Oct 12, 1984.
USS Aaron Ward	U.S. Navy	1945	Battle of Okinawa	"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."

Unit	Service	Year awarded	Campaign or battle	Other notes
3rd Marine Regiment	US. Marine Corps		Battle of Guam (1944)	Navy citation
VMF-214 VMA-214 Marine Attack Squadron 214 is a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of Harrier II turbofan. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and is attached to Marine Aircraft Group 13 , 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ....	U.S. Marine Corps	1944		the Black Sheep Squadron -- for their second combat tour, lasting 84 days at the end of 1943
2nd Marine Division	U.S. Marine Corps	1943	Battle of Tarawa Battle of Tarawa The Battle of Tarawa was a battle in the Pacific War of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the second time the United States was on the offensive , and the first offensive in the critical central Pacific region....	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."
1st Force Reconnaissance Company 1st Force Reconnaissance Company The First Force Reconnaissance Company was the deep reconnaissance/direct action that was assigned to the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific and its subordinate elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force....	U.S. Marine Corps	1965-1968	Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....	Awarded three citations (2 Bronze Stars present)

Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....

Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state of conflict, tension and competition that existed between a number of world powers, including the United States, the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, France, United Kingdom and those countries' respective allies from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s....

Other actions

Non-U.S. recipients

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

War in Afghanistan

Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan

Operation Enduring Freedom

Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its contribution to the War in Afghanistan , together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its War on Terrorism ....

• Canada
  Canada
  
  Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
  's Joint Task Force 2
  Joint Task Force 2
  
  Joint Task Force 2 was formed on April 1, 1993 and is the Canadian Forces unit responsible for Counter-terrorism operations. Its mission is to provide a unit capable of rendering armed assistance in the resolution of an incident that is affecting, or has the potential to affect, the national interest....
  
• New Zealand
  New Zealand
  
  New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
  's Special Air Service
• Denmark
  Denmark
  
  Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
  's Jægerkorpset
  Jægerkorpset
  
  J?gerkorpset is a Denmark Special Forces unit, a part of the Royal Danish Army. Its base is Aalborg Air Base. Members of the corps wear a Burgundy beret with a hunting horn badge....
  
• Germany
  Germany
  
  Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
  's Kommando Spezialkräfte
  Kommando Spezialkräfte
  
  The Kommando Spezialkr?fte is part of Germany's Special Forces. Organized under the Special Operations Division , it is closely modeled on the United Kingdom Special Air Service ....
  
• United State
  United State
  
  United State may refer to:* Union of Russia and Belarus, sometimes called the United State * United States* United State of Electronica, the Seattle dance/rock band...
  's units, including the