Presidential Unit Citation
Display Recognition
United States, Republic of Korea,
Republic of the Philippines, Republic of South Vietnam

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U.S. Award Period Unit Member


U.S. Non-Award Period Unit Member


Republic of South Vietnam


Philippines Republic


Republic of Korea

      Military Branches

      All Military Service branches are applicable:
      Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy

      Who May Apply

      • Veteran recipients
      • Active Duty recipients
      • Family Members of recipients
      • Estate Inheritors

Display Types

        You have two display types to choose from:
        Black & White (No Color)
        Heavy Bond Enclosure
        Heavy Bond Enclosure
        Colors: Regal, Black, Navy
        Trimmed in Appearance Gold

        Ready for Mantle or Shelf Display

Issue Requirements
You must submit the following:

      • An unaltered photocopy of your Report of Separation listing your PUC authority or the name of your PUC unit. If your PUC authority or PUC unit is not listed on your Report of Separation you must provide a copy of your Report of Separation -AND- a copy of any military-issued document displaying your name and your unit or vessel name.

        • A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE PUC

        Formerly known as the Distinguished Unit Citation or Badge, the Presidential Unit Citation is an organization award. The PUC is not an individual award. The PUC is acknowledged to all members of a unit during time of award, and reflected on the personal DD-214, DD-215/Form 1577, or WD AGO 53-55. Only those members who served in the unit during the specific period of activity the PUC is awarded for may apply for a display recognition bearing the veteran's name as well as the unit's name. That is, unit members who served before or after the specific citation dates of the PUC award may not apply for a display recognition bearing a personal name, but may apply for a display recognition bearing the unit name.

        NOTICE

        This Display Recognition is available ONLYto authorized recipients who possess orders, or authorization form, or release documentation that confirms award eligibility. (See "Issue Requirements"). To obtain either a Display Medal or a Display Recognition for your authorized award you will be required to provide military-issued documentation authorizing your award. There are no exceptions.

        WARNING!
        You must NOT submit a military issued document or photocopy that:

        • has been altered in any way by you after
          the original's official issue
        • contains information or corrections or
          additions that you entered
        • lists awards or training you knowingly did not receive
        • contains highlighting, colorizing or other markings you entered

        Be advised that on requestany knowingly fraudulent document sent by you will be released to the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) that may result in prosecution and/or fine/imprisonment.

        Email Questions, or Phone: 1-562-422-4100 (Pacific Time Zone)

        Personnel Branch
        Processing and Delivery

        Style Admin Shipping Total
        Full Color .PDF (Printable) $7.50 Emailed $7.50
        Published Document only (Full Color) $14.00 $10.77 USPS $24.77
        Published Document in Heavy Bond Enclosure (Full Color) $19.00 $10.77 USPS $29.77
        Full Color Printable Certificates
        on CD-Rom (minimum 20 Certificates)        		 $7.50 $7.50 By Count

      • Total/Shipping fees, above, apply to 50 U.S. states
      • Contact The War Libraryfor international shipping cost

        • How to Apply

        You may apply for your Display Recognition using a...

      • Check Debit card (* Shipped within 1 week)
      • Charge card (* Shipped within 1 week)
      • Personal, Business, Bank or Cashiers Check (Shipped in 6 weeks)
      • Money Order (* Shipped in 6 weeks)

        • (* Upon reception of required documentation)

        Complete and MAIL this APPLICATION FORM.
        Don't forget to include an unaltered COPY of your DD-214, WD AGO 53-55 or other pre-arranged document(s).

        DISPLAY RECOGNITION and/or MEDAL APPLICATION FORM

        Mailing Address

        Records Chief (REC-AMW)
        The American War Library
        817 East Via Carmelitos Ste 319
        Long Beach CA 90805-7549

        Questions?

        Click here for answers to common questions

        Email: PUC Display Recognition Inquiry

        Telephone: 1-562-422-4100 (Pacific Time Zone)

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        Issue Regulations
        Presidential Unit Citation

        Establishing Authority


        Click for larger image
        The Presidential Unit Citation was originally established as the Distinguished Unit Citation by Executive Order 9075, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 26, 1942 (as amended). Its official designation was changed to the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) on November 3, 1966.

        Effective Dates

        The Presidential Unit Citation has been in effect since December 7, 1941.

        Criteria

        The Presidential Unit Citation may be awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after December 7, 1941. The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomp-lishing 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 the award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual.

        Order of Precedence

        The Presidential Unit Citation is worn on the right side of the uniform before all other unit citations.

        Devices

        ARMY/AIR FORCE: Additional awards of the Presidential Unit Citation are denoted by oak leaf clusters.

        NAVY/MARINE/COAST GUARD: Additional awards of the Presidential Unit Citation are denoted by Bronze and silver stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. Subsequent award of the Presidential Unit Citation are currently denoted by bronze stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter; a silver star three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter is worn in lieu of five bronze stars.

        -- Blue stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter (now obsolete) were initially used to denote second and subsequent awards.

        -- A gold block letter N was authorized for wear on the Navy Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the crew of the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) for service between July 22 and August 5, 1958.

        -- A bronze globe was authorized for wear on the Navy Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the crew of the USS Triton (SSN 586) for service between February 16 and May 10, 1960.

        Navy Presidential Unit Citation

        The Navy Presidential Unit Citation was instituted in 1942. Awarded to Navy/Marine Corps units for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy.

        Authorization. E.O. 10694, 10 January 1957. Eligibility Requirements. Awarded in the name of the President of the United States to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. The unit must have displayed such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions to have set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would be required for award of a Navy Cross to an individual. Military personnel All personnel permanently assigned or attached to the cited unit who were actually present and participated in the action or actions for which the unit was cited are authorized to wear the ribbon permanently. Transient, active duty for training and temporary duty personnel assigned to the cited unit are normally not eligible. Exceptions may be made for individuals because of an outstanding need for the skills possessed which were not adequately available within the unit. Such personnel will be authorized participation by CNO/CMC as appropriate upon receipt of a certification from the cited unit's commanding officer that the individual made a direct, recognizable contribution to the performance of the services which qualified the unit for the award. Civilian personnel, when specifically authorized by SECNAV, may wear the designated lapel device. Naval reservists who receive unit awards as civilians, are not eligible to wear ribbon bars on their naval uniforms.

        PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, Army and Air Force

        Executive Order 9075 on Feb. 26, 1942, created this award and was superseded by Executive Order 9396 on Dec. 2, 1943, which authorized the Distinguished Unit Citation, and this executive order was superseded by Executive Order 10694, on Jan. 10, 1957 which redesignated the Distinguished Unit Citation as the Presidential Unit Citation. It is conferred on units of the armed forces of the United States and of cobelligerent nations, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after Dec. 7, 1941. The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross to an individual.

        An individual assigned or permanently attached to, and also present for duty with, a unit in the action for which the Presidential Unit Citation is awarded may wear the emblem as a permanent part of their uniform.

        The Army and Air Force Presidential Unit Citation is a dark blue ribbon, 1 3/8 inches wide and 3/8 of an ich high, set in a decorative gold metal frame sumulating a laurel wreath.

        For subsequent awards of the Presidential Unit Citation, the individual is authorized to wear a bronze oak-leaf cluster on the ribbon. The same oak-leaf cluster in silver is worn in lieu of five bronze oak-leaf clusters. The Air Force Presidential Unit Citation is slightly smaller than that of the Army, being the regulation size, so that it can be worn in alignment with other Air Force ribbons.

        Executive Order 10694


        Executive Order 10694 -- Authorizing the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to issue citations in the name of the President of the United States to military and naval units for outstanding performance in action

        Source: The provisions of Executive Order 10694 of Jan. 10, 1957, appear at 22 FR 253, 3 CFR, 1954-1958 Comp., p. 355, unless otherwise noted.

        By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

        1. The Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, respectively, are hereby authorized to issue a citation in the name of the President of the United States, as public evidence of deserved honor and distinction, to any organization, detachment, installation, ship, aircraft, or other unit for outstanding performance in action on or after October 16, 1941, in the case of the Navy or Marine Corps, and on or after December 7, 1941, in the case of the Army or the Air Force. Such citations may also be issued to units of armed forces of cobelligerent nations, serving with the armed forces of the United States for outstanding performance in action on or after December 7, 1941; provided that such units shall meet the standards established for the armed forces of the United States.

        2. Appropriate insignia of such form and design as may be determined by the Secretary concerned may be displayed by any organization, detachment, installation, ship, aircraft, or other unit to which such citation is issued.

        3. After any unit is cited pursuant to paragraph 1 hereof for outstanding performance in action, a ribbon identifying such citation shall be issued and shall become a permanent part of the uniform of those persons assigned or attached thereto who were actually present and participated in the action for which the unit was cited, or in one of the actions if more than one action is mentioned in the citation, whether they thereafter serve with such unit or with a different unit. Such persons are authorized to wear an appropriate additional device for any subsequent citation for which they are eligible, made either to the same unit or to a unit to which they are subsequently assigned. If authorized by the Secretary concerned, persons assigned to a unit subsequent to an action for which it was cited, may wear the citation ribbon while so assigned.

        4. This order supersedes Executive Orders No. 9050 of February 6, 1942, and No. 9396 of November 22, 1943.

        Issue Regulations:
        Katrina Relief Presidential Unit Citation

        All USCG personnel who served between 29 August 2005 to 13 September 2005 are authorized the Presidential Unit Citation.

        Issue Regulations:
        US Coast Guard

        Establishing Authority

        The Department of Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation was established under the authority of Executive Order 10694 (signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 10, 1957), as amended by Section 74 of Executive Order 13286 (signed by President George W. Bush on February 28, 2003, which amended Executive Orders, and other actions, in connection with the transfer of certain functions to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

        Effective Dates

        Initial award of the Department of Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation was for the period of August 29 to September 13, 2005, in preparation for and response and recovery to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The first award was announced by President Bush on May 25, 2006, during a change of command ceremony at Fort McNair in Washington, DC.

        Criteria

        Neither the Coast Guard nor the Department of Homeland Security have thus far published eligibility criteria for this award.

        Order of Precedence

        Not Announced

        Devices

        A gold hurricane device was established to denote an award for the period of Hurricane Katrina (all members of the Coast Guard were awarded the Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation for Hurrican Katrina).