presidential unit citation question

greencobra

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when my dad was alive, i sent to washington asking for replacement medals of the ones he earned in wwII to put in a shadow box display for him when he was alive. i had to send in copies of his discharge and another document pertaining to his discharge, i forget the doc. #, but it had the campaigns he was involved in, etc.
he participated in the guadalcanal campaign and i understand the 1st marine division was awarded a presidential unit citation for that action. were not members of the division awarded a ribbon for their uniform regarding this award? i'm asking cause he didn't receive one in the packet of replacements washington sent along. if it was issued, a ribbon or medal, i'd like to get one to put it in the display so it would be complete when i passed it on. any thoughts here guys. was something issued for this citation?
 
His DD-214 should include and MUC/NUC/PUC (Meritorious/National/Presidential Unit Commendation). If it does not, and he rates it, you can ask for a corrected DD-214, but you can imagine what a PITA that is.
 
The PUC is not a medal. I believe the Navy version has horizontal stripes? The army version is blue with a gold metal border.

My advice is just to buy one on the internet. Should cost less than a dollar, though it probably won't. Mount it in the proper position on a rack with the rest of his ribbons, not just randomly in the box. Do ensure you perform your due diligence as far as whether he's entitled to it, but once you satisfy yourself? Nothing wrong with putting up the right rack in a shadowbox.
 
Do you know what unit he was assigned to on Guadalcanal?? Not all Marine units were assigned to the 1st MarDiv and he may or may not have been in a unit that received a PUC.
 
Do you know what unit he was assigned to on Guadalcanal?? Not all Marine units were assigned to the 1st MarDiv and he may or may not have been in a unit that received a PUC.
yeah, it was the 1st for sure.
 
His DD-214 should include and MUC/NUC/PUC (Meritorious/National/Presidential Unit Commendation). If it does not, and he rates it, you can ask for a corrected DD-214, but you can imagine what a PITA that is.
The NUC ribbon is a Navy Unit Commendation, awarded to units that have distinguished themselves by outstanding heroism in action against the enemy, but not sufficient to justify the award of the Presidential Unit Citation.

The PUC is a unit award equivalent to the Navy Cross for individuals.
 
Do ensure you perform your due diligence as far as whether he's entitled to it, but once you satisfy yourself?
i'll have to find that paperwork. if he was there for the whole campaign, august '42 to dec '42 when the were relieved by the army i don't don't know why it wasn't included when i sent for the replacements. i'll report back. i have his serial number, maybe the city's director of veterans affairs can help?
 
The NUC ribbon is a Navy Unit Commendation, awarded to units that have distinguished themselves by outstanding heroism in action against the enemy, but not sufficient to justify the award of the Presidential Unit Citation.

The PUC is a unit award equivalent to the Navy Cross for individuals.
this is from wiki so it must be true! [laugh]
"The division as a whole would fight in the Guadalcanal Campaign until relieved at 1400 on 9 December 1942 by Alexander Patch's Americal Division.[13][14] This operation won the Division its first of three World War II Presidential Unit Citations (PUC)."
 
this is from wiki so it must be true! [laugh]
"The division as a whole would fight in the Guadalcanal Campaign until relieved at 1400 on 9 December 1942 by Alexander Patch's Americal Division.[13][14] This operation won the Division its first of three World War II Presidential Unit Citations (PUC)."

Also from wiki:
1st Marine Division Unit Awards.
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with one Silver and three Bronze Stars.
That means the 1st MARDIV has been awarded the PUC nine times.
 
i'll have to find that paperwork. if he was there for the whole campaign, august '42 to dec '42 when the were relieved by the army i don't don't know why it wasn't included when i sent for the replacements. i'll report back. i have his serial number, maybe the city's director of veterans affairs can help?

I don't think it needs to be all that complicated, to be honest; this isn't stolen valor, it's probably more like a clerical error. If you know for certain he was in 1st Division, and you know for certain he was on the canal, all you have to do is find the eligibility criteria. Normally, a guy had to be on the island with the unit for a certain number of days to rate the award. Once you do that? Just go buy the sucker. I doubt any mindless drone in some archive somewhere is going to be more diligent than you.
 
I wore the PUC in the 82nd. When I left full time and went to the reserves the PUC didn't come with me. It's awarded to the unit not the person. That said, if he was in the unit when he left it was part of his uniform so I see no reason it shouldn't be in the box even if it's not on the 214.
 
I wore the PUC in the 82nd. When I left full time and went to the reserves the PUC didn't come with me. It's awarded to the unit not the person. That said, if he was in the unit when he left it was part of his uniform so I see no reason it shouldn't be in the box even if it's not on the 214.
I'd take a good look at the regulations.
After a quick wiki search I found that most (all?) services allow their members who were assigned to the unit during the "award period" to wear the ribbon even if they were not part of the action that the unit was awarded the ribbon for and after they transfer out.

I also found that in the Army, those who join the unit after the "award period" may also wear it while assigned to the unit.
The Marines Corps does this with the French Fourragere; members of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments can wear that shoulder cord when assigned to those units, but not when they transfer out.
 
I'd take a good look at the regulations.
After a quick wiki search I found that most (all?) services allow their members who were assigned to the unit during the "award period" to wear the ribbon even if they were not part of the action that the unit was awarded the ribbon for and after they transfer out.

I also found that in the Army, those who join the unit after the "award period" may also wear it while assigned to the unit.
The Marines Corps does this with the French Fourragere; members of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments can wear that shoulder cord when assigned to those units, but not when they transfer out.

This.

In the Navy/MC, you don't wear the unit award at all unless you were in the unit when it was earned (pretty sure). Totally different from the army, though in fairness it looks totally different and is worn on the other side.
 
I wore the PUC in the 82nd. When I left full time and went to the reserves the PUC didn't come with me. It's awarded to the unit not the person. That said, if he was in the unit when he left it was part of his uniform so I see no reason it shouldn't be in the box even if it's not on the 214.

It has already been covered how the Navy/USMC is different. But Army-wise, you keep wearing the unit award if you were with the unit when it was awarded. They go in your records and become a permanent award.
 
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