2ND
BATTALION 94TH ARTILLERY
‘FLEXIBLE’
NAVY PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the
PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the
THIRD MARINE DIVISION (REINFORCED)
For service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in action against
the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong forces in the Republic of Vietnam from 8
March 1965 to 15 September 1967.
Throughout this period, the Third Marine Division (Reinforced), operating in the
five northern most provinces of the Republic of Vietnam, successfully executed
its three fold mission of occupying and defending key terrain, seeking out and
destroying the enemy, and conducting and extensive pacification program.
Operating in an area bordered by over 200 miles of South China Sea Coastline,
the mountainous Lation border and the Demilitarized Zone, The Third Marine
Division (Reinforced) successfully executed eighty major combat operations,
carrying the battle to the enemy, destroying many of his forces, and capturing
thousands of tons of weapons and material. In addition to these major
operations. more than 125,000 offensive counter guerrilla actions, ranging from
squad patrols and ambushes to company-sized search and destroy operations, were
conducted in both the coastal rice lands and the mountainous jungle inland. These bitterly contested actions routed the enemy from
his well-entrenched positions, denied him access to his source of food, restricted
his freedom of movement, and removed his influence from heavily populated areas,
In numerous operations, the Third Marine Division (Reinforced) demonstrated the
great efficiency of combined operations with units of the Army of the Republic
of Vietnam. In July 1966, the Third Marine Division (Reinforced) moved to the
north to counter
major elements of the North Vietnamese Army moving across the Demilitarized Zone
into the Province of Quang Tri; its units fought a series of savage battles
against the enemy, repeatedly distinguishing themselves and, time and again,
forcing the enemy to retreat across the Demilitarized Zone, Imbued with an
unrelenting combat spirit and initiative and undeterred by heavy hostile
artillery and mortar fire, extremely
difficult terrain, incessant heat and monsoon rains, The Third Marine Division
(Reinforced), employing courageous ground, heliborne and amphibious assaults,
complemented by intense and accurate air, artillery and naval gunfire support,
inflected great losses to the enemy and denied him the political and military
victory he sought to achieve at any cost. The outstanding courage,
resourcefulness and aggressive
fighting spirit of the officers and men of the Third Marine Division
(Reinforced) in battle after battle against a well-equipped and well-trained
enemy, often numerically superior in strength, and the great humanitarianism
constantly shown to the peoples of the Republic of Vietnam, reflected great
credit, upon the Marine Corps and were in keeping
with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Lyndon B. Johnson
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