The Vietnam Navy Gallantry Cross ( vi, Hải-Dũng Bội-Tinh) was a military decoration of
South Vietnam which was issued during the years of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by 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 Vietnam a ...
. The Navy Gallantry Cross was awarded to any member of the military who displayed meritorious or heroic combat while engaged in naval operations to benefit South Vietnam. The medal was awarded both for combat and non-combat service and was the equivalent of the United States
Legion of Merit.
The Navy Gallantry Cross was also awarded to members of foreign military forces, provided that such service members were engaged in direct operational support of Vietnam and that such naval actions benefitted the Vietnamese military. Officers of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
were frequently awarded the Navy Gallantry Cross.
Similar decorations existed for general service and air service, and were known as the
Vietnam Gallantry Cross and
Vietnam Air Gallantry Cross. These were separate decorations from the Vietnam Navy Gallantry Cross which came in three different grades: with gold anchor, silver anchor, and bronze anchor.
See also
*
Orders, decorations, and medals of South Vietnam The system of Orders, decorations, and medals of South Vietnam came into being with the establishment of the National Order of Vietnam in 1950. Established by Bảo Đại, the head of state of the State of Vietnam, the order was the highest award o ...
References
External links
Military Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Republic of Vietnam{{ARVN
Military awards and decorations of Vietnam
Courage awards