Distinguished Service Cross (United States)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Distinguished Service Cross.
Distinguished Service Cross
TypeService cross medal
Awarded forExtraordinary heroism in combat
Presented byUnited States Department of the Army[1]
EligibilityUnited States Army soldiers
StatusCurrently awarded
First award18 March 1918[2]
Total13,462[3]


    
Service Ribbon (above)
Obverse of the original cross & Reverse of current cross (below)
Precedence
Next (higher)Medal of Honor
Equivalent
Next (lower)

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the

military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree that they are above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations, but which do not meet the criteria for the Medal of Honor. The Army Distinguished Service Cross is equivalent to the Naval Services' Navy Cross, the Air and Space Forces' Air Force Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross
. Prior to the creation of the Air Force Cross in 1960, airmen were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

The Distinguished Service Cross was first awarded during

Certificate of Merit for gallantry; at the time, this certificate was the only other honor for gallantry the Army could present to combatants in lieu of a Medal of Honor. Others were furnished in belated recognition of actions which occurred in the Philippine–American War, during the Boxer Rebellion, and Pancho Villa Expedition
.

The Distinguished Service Cross is distinct from the Distinguished Service Medal, which is awarded to Army soldiers in recognition of exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in a duty of great responsibility. The Distinguished Service Cross is only awarded for actions in combat, while the Distinguished Service Medal has no such restriction.

Description

A cross of bronze, 2 inches (5.1 cm) high and 1+13⁄16 inches (46 mm) wide with an eagle on the center and a scroll below the eagle bearing the inscription "FOR VALOR". On the reverse side, the center of the cross is circled by a wreath with a space for engraving the name of the recipient.

Service ribbon

The

service ribbon
is 1+3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide and consists of the following stripes:

  • 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) Old Glory Red 67156;
  • 1⁄16 inch (1.6 mm) White 67101;
  • 1 inch (25 mm) Imperial Blue 67175;
  • 1⁄16 inch (1.6 mm) White;
  • 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) Old Glory Red.

Criteria

The Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the Army (or in the Air Force, before 1960), distinguishes themselves by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor; while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing/foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The act or acts of heroism must have been so notable and have involved risk of life so extraordinary as to set the individual apart from their comrades.[5]

Components

The following are authorized components of the Distinguished Service Cross:

  1. Decoration (regular size): MIL-D-3943/4. NSN 8455-00-269-5745 for decoration set. NSN 8455-00-246-3827 for individual replacement medal.
  2. Decoration (miniature size): MIL-D-3943/4. NSN 8455-00-996-50007.
  3. Ribbon: MIL-R-11589/50. NSN 8455-00-252-9919.
  4. Lapel Button (a colored enameled replica of service ribbon): MIL-L-11484/1. NSN 8455-00-253-0808.

Additional awards of the Army Distinguished Service Cross are denoted with oak leaf clusters.

Background

The Distinguished Service Cross was established by President Woodrow Wilson on January 2, 1918. General John J. Pershing, commander-in-chief of the expeditionary forces in France, had recommended that recognition other than the Medal of Honor be authorized for the United States Army for valorous service rendered in like manner to that awarded by the European armies. The request for the establishment of the medal was forwarded from the secretary of war to the president in a letter dated December 28, 1917. The act of Congress establishing this award (193-65th Congress), dated July 9, 1918, is contained in 10 U.S.C. § 3742. The establishment of the Distinguished Service Cross was promulgated in War Department General Order No. 6, dated January 12, 1918.[6]

The first style of the Distinguished Service Cross was designed by Captain

World War I artist Lieutenant J. Andre Smith.[6][7] The first medals were struck by the United States Mint from a sculpture by Gaetano Cecere, who went on to design the Soldier's Medal.[7] It was decided that minor changes were needed to make the medal more attractive.[6] In light of the urgency in supplying the decorations to General Pershing, the first one hundred medals were struck from the original design. They were sent on the understanding that replacements in the second design (also numbered from 1 to 100) would be provided once they were available.[6] Embury made the modifications with the plaster model for the second (and current) version made by John R. Sinnock, who also sculpted various other medals, including the Purple Heart.[7]

Army Regulation (AR) 670–1, governing the wear and appearance of army uniforms and insignia,[8] and its associated guide[9] specify that the Distinguished Service Cross appears second in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations, preceded only by the Medal of Honor. Policy for awards, approving authority, supply, and issue of decorations is contained in AR 600-8-22.[10] 10 U.S.C. § 3991 provides for a 10% increase in retired pay for enlisted personnel who have been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and retired with more than 20 years of service.

Awarding history

World War I

Major General Hanson Edward Ely, commanding the 5th Division, pinning the Distinguished Service Cross on Captain Howard R. MacAdams of the 5th Division's 7th Engineer Regiment, Esch, Luxembourg, December 30, 1918.

During World War I, 6,309 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross were made to 6,185 recipients. Several dozen Army soldiers, as well as eight marines and two French Army officers, received two Distinguished Service Crosses. The first awards were made on March 18, 1918, to 3 soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division.[2]

A handful, mostly United States Army Air Service aviators, were decorated three or more times. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, the top U.S. ace of the war, was awarded a record eight Distinguished Service Crosses, one of which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor, while flying with the 94th Aero Squadron. Fellow aviators Captain Douglas Campbell, also of the 94th, and First Lieutenant Frank O'Driscoll "Monk" Hunter of the 103rd Aero Squadron each received five. Another 94th aviator, Major Reed McKinley Chambers, was awarded four Distinguished Service Crosses. Three aviators received three Distinguished Service Crosses – First Lieutenant Murray K. Guthrie of the 13th Aero Squadron, First Lieutenant Ralph A. O'Neill of the 147th Aero Squadron, and Glen A. Preston,[11] an aerial observation pilot with the 99th Aero Squadron. Among other prominent aviators were Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, the Chief of Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force; Second Lieutenant Frank Luke of the 27th Aero Squadron, who was honored with the Medal of Honor and two Distinguished Service Crosses; and Sumner Sewall of the 95th Aero Squadron, recipient of two Distinguished Service Crosses, who served as Governor of Maine from 1941 to 1945. Edward Peck Curtis, also of the 95th Aero Squadron received the Distinguished Service Cross as a first lieutenant.

Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Hugh Brewster of the 94th Aerial P. S. Squadron, Remicourt, Marne, France, December 18, 1918

Colonel John H. Parker, the commander of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, was the only ground soldier in World War I to receive four Distinguished Service Crosses. First Lieutenant Oscar B. Nelson of the 168th Infantry Regiment, 42nd Division, was honored three times, the third award being posthumous.[12]

Several men who had previously received the Medal of Honor received the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I. Most notable of these was Marine Corps legend, Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, who was twice decorated with the Medal of Honor, and who received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism as First Sergeant of the 73rd Company, Sixth Marine Regiment, during the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918. Colonel Charles E. Kilbourne, who received the Medal of Honor in the Philippine Insurrection, was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross as chief of staff of the 89th Division. First Lieutenant James B. McConnell, also decorated with the Medal of Honor for actions in the Philippines as a private with the 33rd Infantry, received the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously as a first lieutenant with the 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division.

Marine Corps Colonel Hiram I. Bearss, recipient of the Medal of Honor in the Philippines, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross while attached to the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division. Marine Gunner Henry L. Hulbert, also a recipient of the Navy Medal of Honor in the Philippines, received the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery while serving with the 5th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Belleau Wood. Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipient John H. Quick also received the Distinguished Service Cross at Belleau Wood as Sergeant Major of the Sixth Marine Regiment.

Besides Rickenbacker, several men received both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I. Navy recipients were

William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan of the 165th Infantry Regiment, 42nd Division, and Second Lieutenant Samuel I. Parker
of the 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division.

Two recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I went on to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II – Major (later Brigadier General) Theodore Roosevelt Jr. of the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, son of the former president, and Brigadier General (later General of the Army) Douglas MacArthur of the 42nd Division. Other recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I who went on to acclaim in World War II include George S. Patton Jr. and Carl Spaatz.

Among other prominent recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I were Brigadier General

B. Caroll Reece, decorated as a First Lieutenant with the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, went on to represent the state of Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives for a total of 17 terms. Twenty one African American soldiers from the 370th Infantry Regiment received the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for action in both the Meuse–Argonne and Oise–Aisne campaigns.[13]

Between the World Wars

In the immediate aftermath of World War I, 62 awards were made for actions in

Certificates of Merit
for non-combat gallantry between 1899 and 1917 were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Prominent among post-World War I Distinguished Service Cross recipients for acts before that war was General

Lake Denmark Powder Depot, which he commanded at the time.[14]

Among the recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross for Siberia and North Russia were Robert L. Eichelberger, who would earn a second medal in World War II, and Sidney C. Graves, who had previously received a Distinguished Service Cross in World War I.[15]

World War II

During

James A. Van Fleet, and Master Sergeant Llewellyn Chilson were three-time recipients. Jeannette Guyot and Virginia Hall were the only two women to receive the award.[16][17]

A number of recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross in earlier conflicts were again honored in World War II.

Siberia
in 1919, received a second for valor in New Guinea in the Buna campaign of 1942–43.

A little over fifty soldiers (and one sailor) received two Distinguished Service Crosses in World War II. The sailor was

Ray S. Wetmore. Bomber pilot Richard H. Carmichael
also received two Distinguished Service Crosses.

The commander of

U.S. 101st Airborne Division, Harrison C. Summers
received a Distinguished Service Cross for his role on the assault to capture a building complex nearby designated "WXYZ" on the field order map.

During World War II, twelve soldiers, three airmen, and two sailors received both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross: from the Army,

Samuel D. Dealey (who also received four Navy Crosses). One World War II Distinguished Service Cross recipient, Raymond Harvey, would earn the Medal of Honor in the Korean War.[20]

General

General Spaatz for piloting the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress plane which dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.[21][22]

Korean War

In the

posthumous
.

Robert R. Martin, colonel with the 24th Infantry Division was a first recipient in the Korean war.[23]

George A. Davis Jr.
, each earned both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross in Korea.

William T. Whisner
, recipient of two Distinguished Service Crosses in World War II, was awarded a third in Korea.

Ten World War II recipients received a second Distinguished Service Cross in Korea. Among these were

Eighth Army. Nine men received two Distinguished Service Crosses in Korea. Among these was Edward Almond
, the commanding general of X Corps.

Korean War Distinguished Service Cross recipient First Lieutenant

Ralph Puckett Jr. would also receive a second Distinguished Service Cross in Vietnam in command of a battalion of the 101st Airborne Division. Thomas Tackaberry would earn a Distinguished Service Cross in 1952 as a company commander and two more in Vietnam. U.S. Air Force ace Ralph Parr
earned a Distinguished Service Cross in 1953 in Korea and an Air Force Cross in Vietnam.

Three marines earned both the Navy Cross and the Army Distinguished Service Cross in Korea: Homer Litzenberg, Raymond Murray, and Marine Corps legend Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller. "Chesty" Puller had previously earned four Navy Crosses in Nicaragua and World War II, while Murray was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in the 1st Marine Division's historic breakout from the Chosin Reservoir area to the sea at Hamhung, and two days later took part in the action which earned him his second Navy Cross. Murray had earned his first Navy Cross on Saipan during World War II.

Other notable Korean War recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross include

Guy S. Meloy went on to command the 82nd Airborne. 1st Lt. Joseph G. Clemons Jr. for his actions during the Pork Chop Hill, he would later command the 198th Infantry Brigade in the Vietnam War and Master Sergeant Juan E. Negrón on 1951, from 65th Infantry Regiment (United States), upgraded to Medal of Honor on 2014 by President Barack Obama

Among the 14 foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross in the Korean War was Sinasi Sukan (Şinasi Sükan), a captain with 3rd Brigade Turkish Army who has lost his leg during Vegas War,

Kenneth Muir, a major with the 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, British Army, who also posthumously received the Victoria Cross
. Other foreign recipients came from the Belgian, British, French, Greek, Philippine, South Korean and Turkish armies. Soldiers serving with the Greek Expeditionary Force received 6 Distinguished Service Crosses in total during the Korean War.

Vietnam War

There were just over 1,000 awards in the Vietnam War, almost 400 of which were posthumous.

President Lyndon B. Johnson awards the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer

Patrick Brady, a helicopter pilot with the 44th Medical Brigade, and Robert L. Howard, a Special Forces NCO, received both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross in Vietnam. Major General Keith L. Ware, who had earned the Medal of Honor in World War II and who was killed in action in September 1968, received a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.

James F. Hollingsworth, who received a Distinguished Service Cross in April 1945 as commander of 2nd Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, received a second award in November 1966 as assistant division commander of the 1st Infantry Division, and a third in March 1967 as acting division commander of the 1st Infantry Division. He was the subject of the narrative "The General Goes Zapping Charlie Cong". Thomas H. Tackaberry, who received his first Distinguished Service Cross in Korea, received a second in September 1966 as a battalion commander with the 1st Cavalry Division and a third in September 1969 as commander of the 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Both later rose to lieutenant general.

One World War II recipient, William E. DePuy, and two Korean War recipients, Richard E. Cavazos and Ralph Puckett Jr., received a second Distinguished Service Cross in Vietnam. Both DePuy and Cavazos would later rise to full general.

Besides Hollingsworth and Tackaberry, eleven other soldiers earned two Distinguished Service Crosses in Vietnam. Two,

9th Infantry Division, is credited with 109 confirmed kills, the most among U.S. snipers.[25][26] Dennis Tomcik, a first lieutenant with the 47th Infantry Regiment, was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for two separate actions in 1968 in the Kien Hoa Province.[27]

Among other notable Vietnam War Distinguished Service Cross recipients were several who later rose to full general. Among these, besides DePuy and Cavazos, were

Alexander M. Haig Jr., also decorated in March 1967 as a battalion commander in the 1st Infantry Division, preceded General Rogers as SACEUR, and became Secretary of State in the Reagan Administration. Former West Point football All-American, then Captain Bill Carpenter
, "The Lonesome End", received the award in 1966, and would go on to retire as a major general.

First Lieutenant

MACV-SOG, was later commissioned and as of early 2006 was a major general on the staff of Multi-National Force Iraq and the only Vietnam-era DSC recipient still on active duty. David Christian
, described as the "Youngest Most Decorated Officer of the Vietnam War", received the Distinguished Service Cross recipient while leading a long range reconnaissance patrol of the 1st Infantry Division, and later became a prominent advocate for veterans.

Among Distinguished Service Cross recipients for valor in the early battles in Vietnam were four members of the 1st Cavalry Division decorated for valor in the

Bruce Crandall, and two other members of their unit. The actions of all four were later portrayed in the 2002 film We Were Soldiers
, based on Hal Moore's book on the battle. Crandall's Distinguished Service Cross was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which was presented to him in February 2007.

Six Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded to Son Tay raiders, participants in the November 1970 attempt to rescue U.S. POWs in North Vietnam. Among the recipients were Special Forces soldiers Richard J. "Dick" Meadows and Arthur D. "Bull" Simons.

1975 to present

After the Vietnam War, the Distinguished Service Cross has been awarded multiple times.

2015 Bamako hotel attack.[33]

Operation Enduring Freedom

MSG Brendan O'Connor receiving the Distinguished Service Cross

Major

2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross after he removed his body armor to reach to a pair of wounded teammates and render medical aid to them, while under fire, on 24 June 2006.[35]

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Colonel James H. Coffman Jr., 1st Iraqi Special Police Commando Brigade, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for defending a police station in Mosul from an insurgent attack on 14 November 2004.[36]

Notable recipients

See also: Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)

Note that the inclusion of one, or more,

Oak Leaf Clusters
signifies each additional Distinguished Service Cross awarded to that recipient.

Name Service Rank Repeat DSC Notes
Creighton W. Abrams Jr. US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster Army Chief of Staff
Edward Almond US Army LTG with one Oak Leaf Cluster Division and Corps commander in World War II and Korea.
Vernon Baker US Army 1LT later upgraded to the Medal of Honor
Robert H. Barrow
US Marine Corps
 General Commandant of the US Marine Corps.
Robert S. Beightler US Army MG Commanding General of Ohio Army National Guard's 37th Infantry Division
Thomas Blamey Australian Army General later Australia's first Field Marshal
Larry "Scrappy" Blumer
 US Army Air Forces MAJ
Richard Bong US Army Air Forces MAJ Medal of Honor recipient with 40 confirmed aerial victories.
Herman Bottcher US Army CPT veteran of the
Abraham Lincoln Battalion
Lewis H. Brereton US Army Air Service LTG with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Maurice Britt US Army CPT also a Medal of Honor and Silver Star recipient, first recipient of top four valor decorations in WWII
John D. Bulkeley US Navy VADM also Medal of Honor and Navy Cross recipient
Joseph Burlazzi US Army
John Francis Burnes US Marine Corps CPT Marine officer in World War I.
Douglas Campbell US Army Air Service with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Bill Carpenter US Army
Modesto Cartagena US Army most decorated Hispanic soldier of the Korean War
Richard Cavazos
 US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster first Hispanic full general
Arthur S. Champeny US Army with two Oak leaf Clusters only person to receive the DSC in three different conflicts: WWI, WWII and Korean War
Llewellyn Chilson US Army with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Vasily Chuikov Red Army Army General
(General Armii) 		hero of WWII Battle of Stalingrad
Mark W. Clark US Army GEN Commander of 5th Army Group
William J. Cullerton US Army Air Forces WWII flying ace
Alan "Ace" Cozzalio
 US Army helicopter pilot
William Orlando Darby US Army with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Daniel Daly US Marine Corps also Medal of Honor recipient
Dwight F. Davis US Army Secretary of War
Samuel David Dealey US Navy Commander Medal of Honor and four-time Navy Cross recipient.
Ray C. Dickop US Army 1LT General John Pershing, Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, compiled a list of 100 greatest American heroes of World War I which included 1LT Ray Dickop.
William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan
 US Army MG Director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and first recipient of top three decorations in single war.
Otto Dowling US Navy Captain Led response to the Lake Denmark explosion.
Jesus S. Duran US Army Later upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Robert L. Eichelberger US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster Commanded I Corps and the Eighth Army in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II.
Henry E. Emerson US Army LTG
Robert M. Emery
 US Army 1LT
Sam Ervin US Army PVT United States Senator and chairman of the
Watergate hearings
.
Manuel J. Fernandez US Air Force Flying ace.
Geoffrey Cheney Ferris US Army 2LT
Wendell Fertig US Army COL WWII Guerilla Leader 10th Military District, Philippine Islands.
Aaron R. Fisher US Army 366th Infantry Regiment officer
Edward Fuller US Marine Corps Capt
James M. Gavin US Army LTG with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Hobart R. Gay US Army with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Andrew Goodpaster US Army GEN NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
John Campbell Greenway US Army BG Rough Rider in Spanish-American War.
Henry Gunther US Army SGT Last casualty of World War I.
Jeannette Guyot French Resistance
David H. Hackworth
 US Army COL with one Oak Leaf Cluster Controversial author. Ten Silver Stars, eight Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts.
Alexander Haig US Army GEN US Secretary of State.
Virginia Hall OSS civilian
Frank Kerr Hays Army Air Service WWI ace
John L. Hines US Army GEN Army Chief of Staff
Courtney Hodges US Army GEN Commanded First Army in World War II.
Robert L. Howard US Army COL Medal of Honor and Silver Star recipient, all in the same 1967–68 tour.
Clarence R. Huebner US Army LTG one Oak Leaf Cluster Commanded the 1st Infantry Division and V Corps during World War II.
LeRoy P. Hunt US Marine Corps Col
Frank O'Driscoll "Monk" Hunter US Army Air Service MG four Oak Leaf Clusters World War I flying ace.
Isadore Jachman
 US Army Staff Sergeant later upgraded to Medal of Honor
Henry Johnson US Army SGT later upgraded to Medal of Honor, African American soldier in WWI
Rene Joyeuse
 Free French Forces and OSS Captain
Ivan Kamera Red Army Colonel General
(General-Polkovnik) 		WWII artillery general
Charles L. Kelly US Army Dust Off pilot, Vietnam, posthumous
George C. Kenney US Army Air Service,
US Army Air Forces 		GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Young-Oak Kim US Army COL For action in WW2, later became first Asian-American to command a combat battalion in the Korean War.[37]
Robert C. Kingston
 US Army GEN Combat Veteran of Korea and Vietnam
Salvador J. Lara US Army later upgraded to the Medal of Honor
Curtis LeMay US Army Air Forces GEN Air Force Chief of Staff.
Douglas MacArthur US Army GA with two Oak Leaf Clusters also received Medal of Honor, 7 Silver Stars, and 3 French Croix de Guerre.
Gordon H. Mansfield US Army CPT Deputy Secretary of Department of Veterans Affairs
Peyton C. March US Army GEN Army Chief of Staff
Anthony McAuliffe US Army GEN Led defense of Bastogne.
Barry McCaffrey US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster
John McNulty US Marine Corps Navy Cross recipient.
James Megellas US Army LTC Also received 2 Silver Star, 2 Bronze Star with "V" and 2 Purple Heart, considered one of the most decorated combat officers in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division
Louis Gonzaga Mendez Jr. US Army COL Battalion commander, 82nd Airborne Division.
Billy Mitchell US Army Air Service BG
Kyle A. Morgan[38] US Army
Dudley W. Morton US Navy CAPT Distinguished submarine captain, also a four-time Navy Cross recipient
Henry Mucci US Army
Kenneth Muir
 British Army Major Also British Victoria Cross recipient
Audie Murphy US Army MAJ Medal of Honor recipient.
John "Gatling Gun" Parker US Army BG with three Oak Leaf Clusters
George S. Patton US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster Legendary general
George Patton IV US Army MG with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Keith Payne Australian Army WO2 also Commonwealth Victoria Cross recipient
Thomas Payne US Army SGM later upgraded to the Medal of Honor
John J. Pershing US Army GAS Commander of the
American Expeditionary Force
and Army Chief of Staff
Pascal Poolaw US Army First Sergeant The United States' most decorated Native American. Four Silver Stars and three Purple Hearts.
Chesty Puller US Marine Corps LtGen Five-time Navy Cross recipient.
Howard Knox Ramey US Army
William John Read Royal Australian Navy Lt WWII Coastwatcher
Eddie Rickenbacker US Army Air Service CPT with six Oak Leaf Clusters a seventh Oak Leaf was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor
Matthew B. Ridgway
 US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster Army Chief of Staff and NATO Supreme Allied Commander
Keller E. Rockey US Marine Corps LtGen
Bernard W. Rogers US Army GEN US Army Chief of Staff and NATO Supreme Allied Commander.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. US Army BG Also Medal of Honor recipient.
Maurice Rose US Army MAJ
Robert Rosenthal US Army Air Forces LTC also recipient of 16 other valor and service awards, WWII B-17 pilot
Andrew Summers Rowan US Army
Alfredo Santos Philippine Army Major also received the Silver Star, both for his actions during the WWII Battle of Bataan
Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. US Marine Corps Gen Commandant of US Marine Corps.
Oliver Prince Smith
 US Marine Corps Gen
Isabel Stambaugh US Army Nurse Corps hit by shelling in WWI field hospital, continued her duties
Joseph Stilwell US Army GEN Commander of the
China Burma India Theater
.
Maxwell D. Taylor US Army GEN Army Chief of Staff.
Gerald C. Thomas US Marine Corps Gen Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
James A. Van Fleet
 US Army GEN with two Oak Leaf Clusters Commanded Eighth Army in Korea.
John Paul Vann US State Department Civilian Former US Army Lieutenant Colonel.
Jesús Villamor
 Philippine Army Air Corps Captain with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Walton Walker US Army GEN with one Oak Leaf Cluster Died in Korea.
Robert B. Williams US Army Air Forces
Richard Winters US Army MAJ "Band of Brothers"
George Frederick Wootten
 Australian Army MAJGEN
Jarion Halbisengibbs[39] US Army SSGT Awarded during his valor during the Global War on Terror
Alvin York US Army MAJ Later upgraded to the Medal of Honor
Edward F. Younger US Army chosen to select the
Unknown Soldier
for the US after WWI

Revocation

In a number of cases, an award of the Distinguished Service Cross has later been revoked. In most cases, this has been for one of three reasons: the award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, duplicate awards had been made to the same recipient for the same action by two different headquarters, or the award had been revoked to allow republication with a new and revised award citation. Such revocations have occurred over the history of the decoration.

One of the earliest such cases involves one of the most famous American soldiers of World War I,

Roy P. Benavidez, a U.S. Army Special Forces
veteran, had his Vietnam-era DSC upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which was presented to him by President Reagan at a Pentagon ceremony on February 24, 1981.

A number of DSC revocations and upgrades to the Medal of Honor were the result of reviews initiated by the Army or mandated by the United States Congress. In the early 1990s the Army began a review of discrimination against black soldiers in World War II, none of whom had received the Medal of Honor but several of whom had received lesser awards. Later, the Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 provided for a "Review Regarding Upgrading of Distinguished-Service Crosses and Navy Crosses Awarded to Asian-Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders for World War II Service" and the National Defense Authorization Act for 2002 provided for a "Review Regarding Award of Medal of Honor to Certain Jewish American and Hispanic American War Veterans".[40] There is currently a petition circulating to upgrade the Distinguished Service Cross of Major Richard Winters to a Medal of Honor.

In January 1997, as a result of its review, the Army revoked six awards of the Distinguished Service Cross to black soldiers and upgraded them to the Medal of Honor. These were to

George Watson.[41] In 2001, the Army officially revoked 21 awards of the Distinguished Service Cross and one of the Silver Star to Asian-American soldiers, mostly Japanese-American, whose awards were upgraded to the Medal of Honor.[42] Among those whose DSC was upgraded was U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye. Others include Francis B. Wai and Rudolph B. Davila
.

Jon E. Swanson, posthumously awarded a DSC in 1972, had this revoked in November 2005 (Department of the Army General Order No. 9 of 2005), after his DSC was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in December 2002 (Department of the Army General Order No. 14 of 2002). Another Vietnam War helicopter pilot, Bruce P. Crandall, was awarded the DSC in June 2001 (General Order No. 25 of 2001). This award was rescinded in November 2005 when a new citation was issued (General Order No. 9 of 2005), but the DSC itself was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which was presented in February 2007 (the DSC was revoked in General Order No. 3 of 2007).

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b "Distinguished Service Cross".
  3. ^ Lilley, Kevin (8 July 2018). "Centennial of honor: Silver Star, Distinguished Service Cross mark a milestone". Military Times. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  4. ^ Cooper, Mechele (23 May 2010). "Mainer joins elite crew of Medal for Valor recipient". Kennebec Journal. Augusta, ME. Archived from the original on 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
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  6. ^ a b c d "Personal Decorations – Distinguished Service Cross". Institute of Heraldry. Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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    ISBN 9780786474127
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  9. ^ "Order of precedence by category of medal" (PDF). Department of the Army Pamphlet 670–1: Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army. January 26, 2021. pp. 259–262. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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