The Republic of Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order ( vi, Quân chủng Bội tinh), Republic of Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order and Republic of Vietnam Navy Distinguished Service Order was a military decoration of

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

which was awarded throughout the years of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. The decoration was bestowed for meritorious or heroic deeds related to wartime operations and was awarded for both combat and non-combat service. There were two classes of the RVN Army/Air Force/Navy Distinguished Service Order, the first class being for officers and the second class for enlisted personnel. The first class of the order was differentiated by a blossom device centered on the medal and ribbon. The RVN Army/Air Force/ Navy Distinguished Service Order was also provided to foreign militaries, and in the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

the decoration was considered the equivalent of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

. For foreign officers, the 2nd class of the order was also provided to officers. The decoration ranked immediately below the National Order of the Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam Military Merit Medal. It was among the less commonly bestowed medals, in contrast to such decorations as the

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal wa ...

and

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal ( vi, Chiến Dịch Bội Tinh), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949, and awarded to French military personnel during the First ...

. The last issuance of the Vietnam Distinguished Service Order was in 1974, before the

Fall of Saigon The Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon by North Vietnamese or Liberation of the South by the Vietnamese government, and known as Black April by anti-communist overseas Vietnamese was the capture of Saigon, the capital of ...

External links

Military Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Republic of Vietnam
{{ARVN Military awards and decorations of Vietnam

See also

External links