Presidential Unit Citation
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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. Several nations bestow awards which are referred to as the Presidential Unit Citation.
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United States
The United States Presidential Unit Citation is "awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and co-belligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after 7 December 1941. The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual."
The Army citation was originally 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.
The Navy citation is similar, but is the unit equivalent of a Navy Cross and was established on 6 February 1942.
For the Army and Air Force, the emblem itself is a solid blue ribbon enclosed in a gold frame. The Citation is also carried on the unit's regimental colours in the form of a blue streamer, four feet long and 2 3/4 inches wide. 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.
U.S. Coast Guard units may be awarded either version of the Presidential Unit Citation, depending on which service the Coast Guard is supporting when the citation action is performed.
One Canadian Unit holds this battle honour. The 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were awarded this citation in the Korean war, at Kapyong. The unit, with 800 soldiers, held the line as American forces and other UN forces withdrew. They were attacked by an estimated 10,000 Chinese soldiers.
Republic of Korea
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The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is issued by the government of South Korea to both Korean military and foreign units. The last major issuance of the decoration to United States forces was during the Korean War when the decoration was bestowed to several U.S. military units. By order of the Korean government, the award was also retroactively authorized to every unit of the United States Army which had deployed to Korea between 1950 and 1954.
Republic of the Philippines
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The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation is a decoration of the Republic of the Philippines which has been awarded to certain units of the United States military for actions both during and subsequent to the Second World War.
The decoration was first created in 1946 and retroactively awarded to any unit of the U.S. military which had served in the defense or liberation of the Philippine Islands. The decoration was again bestowed to U.S. military units for relief efforts during several natural disasters which occurred in the Philippines between 1970 and 1972.
Republic of Vietnam
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The Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation was awarded by the Vietnamese government to all personnel in the Military Assistance Advisory Group during August and September 1954. The emblem consists of three vertical red stripes on a golden yellow background, in a gold frame.
The decoration was also awarded throughout the Vietnam War to certain units of the U.S. military deemed to have performed exceptional service to Vietnam. The Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation is considered obsolete since the bestowing authority, the government of South Vietnam, no longer exists.