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The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the

 the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to

FIRST MARINES (-) (REINFORCED)

FIRST MARINE DIVISION

For service as set forth in the following:

For extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in action against enemy forces during Operation HUE CITY, conducted in Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam, from 31 January to 2 March 1968.  On 31 January 1968, Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, responded as a reaction force to relieve pressure on beleaguered free world forces in Hue City.  As the reaction force moved by vehicle convoy toward the city, it was attacked by two battalions of the North Vietnamese Army and temporarily halted.  Receiving reinforcements from Company G, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, and a provisional command group from 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, the reaction force fought its way into the city.  Once within the city, it secured various objectives in order to rescue U. S. National and Republic of Vietnam government officials from the north side of the Perfume River.  Engaging a numerically superior enemy force, the Marines performed superbly. The attack was a classical example of combat in the built-up area as the majority of the fierce fighting was performed at distances under 35 meters, on streets, in yards, from house to house, room to room, and in hand-to-hand combat.  As time passed and the intensity of the fighting increased, the decision was made to declare the action a full-scale operation, and on 2 February control was passed to the 1st Marines. Reacting swiftly to reinforce the units in Hue, the 1st Marines (-) (Reinforced) proceeded from Phu Bai by vehicle convoy to exploit the contact already made.  Engaging enemy troops as they drew near, the 1st Marines fought their way into the through the city to the MACV compound to find it under intense attack by a numerically superior force. Immediately deploying, they countered the attack and within 30 minutes placed the enemy on the defensive.  The fighting continued and the Marines recaptured the provincial headquarters and hospital while driving the enemy from other critical areas.  On 26 February, a portion of the  Marines were withdrawn from the Citadel and, upon combining forces with Marines in another portion of the zone of responsibility, began conducting final clearing operations south of the Phu Cam River.  Through the remaining four days, the Marines encountered stubborn resistance, but secured the city by 2 March with 1,889 enemy killed.  By their effective teamwork, aggressive fighting spirit, and individual acts of heroism and daring, the men of the 1st Marines (-) (Reinforced) soundly defeated a numerically superior enemy force and achieved an illustrious record of courage and skill which was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Richard Nixon

Units eligible for this award: 

Unit Listing - MCBul 1650 - 14 Jul 1970

First Marines (-) (Reinforced), First Marine Division (Operation HUE CITY, VIETNAM) - 31 Jan – 2 Mar 68

Consisting of:

Detachment, Headquarters Company, 1st Marines

1 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 3d Interrogator-Translator Team

1 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 13th Interrogator-Translator Team

2 Feb-2 Mar 68

 

1st Battalion (-) (Reinforced) 1st Marines

 

Detachment, H&S Company and Company A
1st Battalion, 5th Marines

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

Company B (-), 1st Battalion 1st Marines

1 Feb-2 Mar 68

Company F, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines

1 Feb-2 Mar 68

Company G, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

Company H, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines

2 Feb-3 Feb 68

1st Battalion (-), 11th Marines

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

Rear Echelon, 2d Battalion 5th Marines

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

 

 

1st Battalion (-) Reinforced, 5th Marines

 

Detachment, H&S Company and Company “B”,

1st Battalion, 5th Marines

11 Feb–2 Mar 68

Company A (-), 1st Battalion 5th Marines

11 Feb–2 Mar 68

Company C (-), 1st Battalion 5th Marines

12 Feb–2 Mar 68

Company D (-), 1st Battalion 5th Marines

14 Feb–2 Mar 68

Company L (-), 3d Battalion 5th Marines

21 Feb–2 Mar 68

 

2d Battalion (-) (Reinforced, 5th Marines

 

H&S Company, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines

4 Feb–2 Mar 68

Companies F, G and H, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines

4 Feb–2 Mar 68

Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines

12 Feb–13 Feb 68

 

Antitank Company (-), 1st Tank Battalion

31 Jan 68

Company A, 1st Engineer Battalion (-) (Rein)

1 Feb-28 Feb 68

Detachment, 1st Shore Party Battalion

1 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 1st Motor Transport Battalion

1 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, Mortar Battery X-Ray, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines

10 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, Battery E, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines

21 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 1st Counter-Intelligence Team, 1st Marine Division

31 Jan-7 Feb 68

Battery D, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines

12 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 1st Military Police Company, 1st Marine Division

12 Feb-2 Mar 68

1st Platoon, 3d Bridge Company, 7th Engineer Battalion

5 Feb-12 Feb 68

Detachment, Headquarters Company, 5th Marine Regiment

12 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 3d Motor Transport Battalion, 3d Marine Division

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

Detachment, Task Force X-Ray Headquarters

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

Detachment, 1st Field Artillery Group, 11th Marine Regiment

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

Detachment, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division (1st Division Awards Contact Team)

21 Feb-28 Feb 68

 

 

U.S. Navy Units and Ships:

 

Detachment, Mobile Construction Battalion-8

22 Feb-28 Feb 68

Detachment, Mobile Construction Battalion-121

12 Feb-2 Mar 68

Detachment, River Group-521

5 Feb-2 Mar 68

Naval Support Activity Hue Ramp Detachment

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

 

 

U.S. Naval Support Activity Lighterage Craft

 

LCU/YFU (By Hull Number) – 4, 7, 12, 52, 54, 55,
56, 57, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70,
71, 72, 1475, 1481, 1482, 1484, 1485, 1494, 1498,
1499, 1500, 1576, 1582, 1614, 1619, 1622, 1624,
1615
 

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

LCM-6 Craft (By Hull Number) – 2, 3, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16

31 Jan-2 Mar 68


LCM-8 Craft (By Hull Number) – 798, 826, 850, 871,
920, 923, 925, 926, 937

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

 

U.S. Army Units

 

Detachment, Battery D, 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery

31 Jan-2 Mar 68


The following Army Components attached to

the Naval Support Activity, Danang


31 Jan-2 Mar 68

329th Transportation Company (Heavy Boat)
97th Transportation Company (Heavy Boat)
LCU/YFU Craft (By Hull Number) – 1508, 1535,
1556, 1563, 1569, 1571, 1575, 1580, 1589, 1574,
1534

31 Jan-2 Mar 68

 

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