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The Vietnam Gallantry Cross was issued
as a unit award which is an entirely separate decoration from the full
sized medal. Known as the "Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with
Palm," the unit citation award was created in 1968 and was issued as
the Gallantry Cross ribbon, with a metal palm device, enclosed within a
gold frame. The unit citation was issued in the name of South Vietnam to any
military unit which distinguished itself to the same level as would be
required for the individual award. Regulations for the issuance of the
Vietnam Gallantry Cross permit the wearing of both the individual and unit
award simultaneously, since they both are considered separate decorations.
The fourragere of the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry was awarded to units who
had been awarded the Cross twice. It was a brilliant golden-yellow, with
red intermixed. Department of the Army message 111030Z from April 1974,
established the policy that only one emblem for a unit award was authorized
to be worn at a time. This change resulted in the fourragere being no
longer authorized for wear, as it was representative of multiple awards.
The Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
with Palm was issued to every Allied nation which provided military support
to Vietnam between 1 March 1961 and the fall of Saigon in April 1975. The
unit decoration thus became the most commonly awarded Vietnamese decoration
to foreigners, second only to the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
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