Non - U . S . recipients of U . S . gallantry awards Individual Awards for Valor . Other than the awards to unknown soldiers of World War I , the Medal of Honor , the highest United States valor decoration , has not been awarded to a non - U . S . recipient . The highest valor decoration which non - U . S . individuals may receive is the service crosses of the services - the Army Distinguished Service Cross , the Navy Cross , and the Air Force Cross . To date , no awards of the Air Force Cross have been made to non - U . S . individuals . The Army has awarded 440 Distinguished Service Crosses to non - U . S . individuals , with most of these having come in World War I ( 154 ) and World War II ( 258 ) . The Navy and Marine Corps have awarded 124 Navy Crosses to non - U . S . individuals , again with most of these having come in World War I ( 100 ) and World War II ( 19 ) . Among notable recipients of these decorations were : Awards to Unknown Soldiers . United Kingdom . On November 11 , 1920 , an unidentified British soldier from a battlefield of the First World War was buried at the western end of the Nave of Westminster Abbey . The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior as it came to be known , was to serve as a memorial to all of the soldiers who had no known grave . On October 17 , 1921 , the Unknown Warrior was presented with the Medal of Honor , the highest award for gallantry conferred by the United States , by General John J . Pershing , Chief of Staff of the United States Army . The Medal of Honor was awarded by an Act of Congress approved March 4 , 1921 . The medal hangs in a frame on a pillar close to the tomb . Belgium . The Belgian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ( French : " Tombeau du Soldat Inconnu " , Dutch : " Graf van de Onbekende Soldaat " ) is located in Brussels . In War Department General Orders No . 52 of 1922 , the United States announced the award of the Medal of Honor to the Belgian unknown soldier : " By virtue of the authority vested by law in the President of the United States , the Congressional Medal of Honor , emblem of the highest military ideals and virtues , is bestowed in the name of the Congress of the United States upon the unknown , unidentified Belgian soldier in a desire to add all that is possible to the imperishable glory won by the soldiers of Belgium who fought as comrades of the American soldiers during the World War , and to commemorate with them the deeds of the nations associated with the United States of America , by paying this tribute to their unknown dead . " France . The French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ( French : " Tombeau du Soldat Inconnu " ) is located in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris . The award of the Medal of Honor came in the same Act of Congress of March 4 , 1921 which approved the award to the British Unknown Warrior . Italy . A joint resolution of Congress on October 12 , 1921 awarded the Medal of Honor " upon the unknown , unidentified Italian soldier to be buried in the National Monument to Victor Emanuel II , in Rome . " Romania . War Department General Orders No . 22 of June 6 , 1923 announced the award of the Medal of Honor to the Romanian unknown soldier : " By virtue of the authority vested by law in the President of the United States , the Congressional Medal of Honor , emblem of the highest military ideals and virtues , is bestowed in the name of the Congress of the United States upon the unknown , unidentified Rumanian soldier in a desire to add all that is possible to the imperishable glory won by the soldiers of Rumania who fought as comrades of the American soldiers during the World War , and to commemorate with them the deeds of the nations associated with the United States of America , by paying this tribute to their unknown dead . " Unit Citations . World War II . 25 Field Battery , Royal Artillery . In October 1944 , 7th US Armored Division was holding a very long stretch of the Allied line in The Netherlands when a German force of tanks and infantry attacked and captured the small town of Meijel in the centre of the Division ' s line ; the village of Asten was also threatened . As 7th Armored was operating under British VIII Corps at the time , the corps commander , Gen Sir Richard O ' Connor , sent 25th Field Regiment to support the US formation . The German attack intensified and the artillery regiment , especially 25 Field Battery , played a critical role over two and a half days in ensuring that the line was not broken . On the afternoon of 28 October , 25 Battery engaged enemy tanks and infantry continuously for two hours , causing many casualties in the attackers ' ranks . Although the Germans advanced some 700 – 1 , 000 yards , their advance was held . Further reinforcements , from 15th ( Scottish ) Division , arrived on the 29th and 7th Armored was able to withdraw , having suffered heavily but not having allowed the enemy to pass . For its part in the battle , 25 Battery was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation and an Honour Title , becoming 25 ( Asten ) Battery , Royal Artillery . In 1947 it was renumbered as 59 ( Asten ) Battery and is today 59 ( Asten ) Training Battery . No . 13 Squadron , Royal Australian Air Force . No . 13 Squadron , Royal Australian Air Force was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its service in the Timor area in August to September 1942 . Despite being awarded in October 1942 the citation was not officially presented to the Squadron until May 1990 . The Distinguished Unit Citation was redesignated after World War II as the Presidential Unit Citation . French 2nd Armored Division . The French 2nd Armored Division ( " 2e Division Blindée " ) was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for the liberation of Saverne and Strasbourg during the period from 16 to 24 November 1944 . Régiment de Marche de la Légion Etrangère . The Foreign Legion March Regiment ( " Régiment de Marche de la Légion Etrangère " ) , subsequently renamed the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment ( " 3e Régiment étranger d ' infanterie " ) , of the French Foreign Legion was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation with the inscription " Rhine – Bavarian Alps " for its actions in the drive of the Sixth United States Army Group , of which the French First Army was part , across the Rhine River into southern Germany to Bavaria and Austria in 1945 . 1st Brazilian Fighter Group . On April 22 , 1986 , the 1st Brazilian Fighter Group was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions in the Po Valley region of Italy in World War II . The Brazilians , operating in Italy in support of Allied forces , destroyed in one day ( April 22 , 1945 ) over 45 vehicles , strafed pontoon bridges on the River Po ( hampering a German retreat ) and harassed fixed positions of the German forces . From the citation : " " The casualties that they suffered reduced their pilot strength to about one half that of the United States Army Air Force squadrons operating in the same area , but they flew an equal number of sorties as their US counterparts . . . Eleven missions of 44 sorties were flown destroying nine motor transports and damaging 17 . Additionally , they destroyed the facilities of a motor pool , immobilized 35 horse vehicles , damaged a road bridge and a pontoon bridge , destroyed 14 and damaged three enemy - occupied buildings , and attacked four military positions and inflicted much other damage . " " Korean War . Royal Marines at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir . Task Force Drysdale , a combined unit of the United States 1st Marine Division which included 41 Commando , Royal Marines , formed in November 1950 at Hungnam in South Korea , with the aim of fighting its way to reinforce the garrison at Hagaru on the southern tip of the Chosin Reservoir . The column of Drysdale came under sustained attack almost from the off , but was eventually able to force its way through to Hagaru , with 321 casualties sustained . On entering the town , 41 Commando was nominated as the garrison reserve , and was called into action on the night of November 29 / November 30 , when part of the Commando was called on to reinforce a unit of the United States Marine Corps that was part of Drysdale on a hill overlooking the Chinese lines . During this night , the two Chinese divisions facing them sustained over 5000 casualties . Despite this , other United Nations forces along the reservoir were failing to hold the lines . So , the force at Hagaru were ordered to withdraw back to Hungnam . 41 Commando , along with the 5th Marine Battalion , brought up the rear , beginning on December 6 . The force stopped at Koto - Ri on December 8 , where a mass grave for 117 dead troops was prepared . 41 Commando moved out in the afternoon to guard the high ground over the formation against infiltration during the night . On December 9 , the formation moved out to march the remaining distance to the Hungnam bridgehead , getting clear by December 11 and embarking with 22 , 000 US Marines to be shipped down to Pusan . The action had left 41 Commando with 93 casualties , and so the unit was withdrawn to Japan for reinforcement during the winter of 1950 / 51 . The actions of 1st Marine Division led to it receiving a Presidential Unit Citation , a US Navy award . Although 41 Commando was not mentioned in the original citation ( as US Navy regulations did not originally allow bestowal upon foreign forces ) , representations to the USMC subsequently led to it also receiving the award , which was accepted in 1957 . The streamer was born on the Regimental Colour of 41 Commando , Royal Marines until its disbandment in 1981 . UN Forces in the Chinese Spring Offensive . During the April 1951 Chinese Spring Offensive , along the breadth of the United Nations front , UN forces faced attacks from numerically superior Chinese Communist forces . Among the units which received the Distinguished Unit Citation for battles during this offensive were the following : French " Bataillon de Corée " . The French battalion ( " Bataillon de Corée " ) was a volunteer battalion which arrived in Korea at the end of November 1950 and was attached to the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the U . S . 2nd Infantry Division . The battalion fought in numerous battles , including the Battle of the Twin Tunnels , Chipyong - ni , Hongchon , Hwachon Reservoir , the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge , and the Battle of Arrowhead Ridge , until departing Korea in July 1953 . The French Battalion earned three Unit Citations ( for Twin Tunnels , Chipyong - ni , and Hwachon Reservoir ) and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Arrowhead Ridge . It is unclear from the sources , but the " Hwachon Reservoir " citation may have been a Presidential Unit Citation , a US Navy award , while the first two were the army version of the time , the Distinguished Unit Citation . " Netherlands Detachment United Nations " . The Dutch Battalion ( " Netherlands Detachment United Nations " or " Van Heutsz battalion " ) was a volunteer battalion that was part of the Regiment Van Heutsz which arrived in Korea at the end of November 1950 . It was attached to the 38th Infantry Regiment ( Rock of the Marne ) , which was part of the 2nd Infantry ( Indianhead ) Division . The battalion fought in numerous battles , including Battle of Wonju , Soyang River Battle , Battle of Heartbreak Ridge , and in the Iron Triangle . It left Korea in November 1954 , leaving 123 dead and 463 wounded . The Dutch battalion was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citation s ( with the citations ' Hongchon , Korea ' and ' Hoengsong , Wonju , Korea ' ) and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations for the entire campaign . The decorations were attached to the battalion flag . The battle honour ' Korea 1950 – 1954 ' was awarded to the Regiment Van Heutsz . The traditions of the Netherlands Detachment United Nations are still maintained by the Regiment Van Heutsz , the most decorated regiment in the Royal Netherlands Army . The Turkish Brigade . President Harry Truman signed a Distinguished Unit Citation on July 11 , 1951 for the Turkish Brigade ' s acts of heroism . It reads : " The Turkish Brigade , a member of the United Nations Forces in Korea is cited for exceptionally outstanding performance of duty in combat in the area of Kumyangjang - ni , Korea , from 25 to 27 January 1951 . " Greek Expeditionary Force . The Greek Expeditionary Force ( Korea ) received a total of two Distinguished Unit Citation s and one Navy Presidential Unit Citation . The two army awards went to the Force ' s infantry battalion ( known as the Sparta Battalion ) for the capture of Scotch Hill ( October 1951 ) and the defense of Outpost Harry ( 17 – 18 June 1953 ) , while Flight 13 of the Hellenic Air Force was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for its heroic evacuation of US Marines from Hagaru - ri ( December 1950 ) . The rifle company involved in the defense of Outpost Harry received the following Distinguished Unit Citation : " DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Washington D . C . , 10 March 1955 GENERAL ORDERS 18 DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION Company P Greek Expeditionary Forces Battalion ( Second Award ) is cited for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in action against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Surang - Ni , Korea during the period 17 June to 18 June 1953 . Assigned the defense of a vital outpost position ( Harry ) , the company encountered a major enemy assault on the evening of June 17 . After an intense concentration of enemy mortar and artillery fire , the hostile forces , which had taken up an attack position on the northeast and northwest side of the outpost , moved rapidly through their own and friendly artillery fire to gain a foothold on the northern slope of the position . Refusing to withdraw , Company P closed in and met the attackers in a furious hand to hand struggle in which many of the enemy were driven off . The aggressors regrouped , quickly attacked a second time , and again gained the friendly trenches . Immediately , the Greek Forces launched a series of counterattacks , simultaneously dispatching a diversionary force to the east of the outpost which successfully channeled the enemy thrusts . After 2 hours of close in fighting , the aggressors were again routed and the friendly positions restored . The outstanding conduct and exemplary courage exhibited by members of Company P , Greek Expeditionary Forces Battalion , reflects great credit on themselves and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and the Kingdom of Greece . " The Greeks won six U . S . Distinguished Service Crosses , 32 Silver Star s , and 110 Bronze Star s . Furthermore , 19 members of 13th Flight received the Air Medal for the Hagaru - ri evacuation operation in December 1950 . Vietnam War . D Company , 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment – Battle of Long Tan . A mortar and recoilless rifle attack on the Task Force area opened Operation Vendetta , on the night of August 16 / August 17 , 1966 . B Company , of the 6th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment was initially dispatched to clear the area to the east of the Task Force base . D Company took over from B Company on August 18 , 1966 . D Company made contact with the enemy force of regimental size and was soon under attack from three sides . The battle was fought into the night under a blanket of mist and heavy monsoonal rain , but D Company held its ground with heroism and grim determination . The remainder of the Battalion deployed to aid the beleaguered Company . With the help of armoured personnel carriers of 3 Troop , 1 APC Squadron hit the flank of a battalion size force which was forming up to assault the rear of D Company , inflicted many casualties and forced the enemy from the battlefield . A Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to D Company by the then President of the United States , Lyndon B . Johnson , for the Battle of Long Tan . August 18 is now commemorated each year as Long Tan Day , in memory of Australian soldiers who served in the Vietnam War . The streamer of the citation , bearing the honour ' Long Tan ' , is carried on the Regimental Colour of the 6th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment . 9th Company , 1st Cavalry Regiment , Republic of Korea Army . The 9th Company , 1st Cavalry Regiment , Republic of Korea Army was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation on August 9 , 1968 for its valor on August 9 – 10 , 1966 in the defense of Landing Zone 27 Victor , Pleiku Province , Republic of Vietnam . The citation reads , in part : " About one hour before midnight the sounds of digging were heard outside the perimeter . The suspicious area was illuminated by a searchlight and reconnoitered by machine - gun fire from one of the United States Army tanks under operational control of the 9th Company . This action triggered the first of a series of violent attacks made against the perimeter by a North Vietnamese Army battalion and reinforced by heavy fire from recoilless rifles , mortars , and rockets . During the next six hours , the foe made repeated assaults from differing directions , only to be beaten back by the coordinated fire from the stalwart defenders . A single enemy managed to penetrate into the position , but this danger was quickly eliminated by a Korean soldier wielding a bayonet . Throughout this long battle the 9th Company held its position and exhibited great gallantry under intense fire and repeated ground attacks . The tenacious defense and subsequent mop - up of the battlefield virtually eliminated the enemy battalion as an effective fighting unit . The heavy losses inflicted upon the numerically superior enemy force attest to the physical courage , determination , and skill of the defenders . . . . " 1st Company , Royal Thailand Army Volunteer Regiment and attached units . The 1st Company , Royal Thailand Army Volunteer Regiment and several attached and supporting units – a medical platoon , an armored personnel carrier platoon and an artillery battery – were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by President Richard Nixon on November 5 , 1969 for extraordinary heroism on December 20 – 21 , 1967 in Vietnam . According to the citation : " During this period the 1st Company was given the mission of conducting combat operations and revolutionary development support in Bien Hoa Province . Elements of the Viet Cong 274th Main Force Battalion and the 3d Main Force Battalion attacked the 1st Company on the night of 20 December . This attack was repulsed by the heroic Thai in a battle characterized by savage hand - to - hand combat with devastating effect on the enemy . By the unparalleled application of exceptional imagination , fearless courage , and unrelenting determination , the 1st Company succeeded in repelling three assaults by the superior enemy force . Although harassed by constant mortar fire , the valiant defenders aggressively engaged the enemy and inflicted heavy enemy casualties . Individual acts of heroism were numerous , and during the entire battle the company officers , through their superb leadership , provided an inspirational example to the rest of the company . The Thai victory deprived the enemy of one of its long - established infiltration and resupply routes . The aggressiveness , determination , enthusiasm , and exemplary courage displayed by the members of the 1st Company and its attached and supporting units reflect great credit upon themselves , the Royal Thailand Army , and the Allied cause in the Republic of Vietnam . " 3rd Airborne Task Force , Army of the Republic of Vietnam . The 3rd Airborne Task Force , Army of the Republic of Vietnam , consisting of the Task Force Headquarters and 2nd and 3rd Vietnamese Airborne Battalions , was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for heroism in Operation Kham Jei 180 from November 15 – 22 , 1967 . 37th Ranger Battalion , Army of the Republic of Vietnam . The South Vietnamese Army ' s 37th Ranger Battalion received no less than three United States Army Presidential Unit Citations . The first was awarded in Department of the Army General Order 20 of 1967 , for extraordinary heroism in the vicinity of Thach Tru , Quang Ngai Province on November 22 , 1965 . The second was awarded in Department of the Army General Order 23 of 1969 , for extraordinary heroism in the period of January 27 to February 25 , 1968 . The third was awarded in Department of the Army General Order 37 of 1973 , for extraordinary heroism in the period of February 11 to April 24 , 1970 . 1st Battalion Group , Royal Australian Regiment , Vietnam , 1965 – 1966 . Between May 1965 and May 1966 , the 1st Battalion Group , Royal Australian Regiment , consisting of the 1st Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment , the 4th / 19th Prince of Wales ' s Light Horse and 161 Battery , 16 Field Regiment , Royal New Zealand Artillery served as part of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam . During that time , the Brigade was constantly involved in heavy fighting , as it was invariably one of the leading units in the front line . For its service throughout this period , the 1st Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment , 4th / 19th PoW Light Horse and 161 Battery , RNZA were awarded the United States Meritorious Unit Commendation . The streamer of the commendation , bearing the honour ' Vietnam 1965 – 66 ' , is carried on the Regimental Colour of the 1st Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment . Australian Army Training Team Vietnam , 1962 – 1969 . For the service it provided during the Vietnam War between 1962 and 1969 , the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam was awarded the United States Meritorious Unit Commendation . The commendation is indicated by a red streamer bearing the honour ' Vietnam 1962 – 69 ' . No . 2 Squadron , Royal Australian Air Force . For its service in Vietnam between April 1967 and May 1971 , No . 2 Squadron , Royal Australian Air Force was awarded the United States Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with attached Valor device . Royal Australian Navy in Vietnam . For their service during the Vietnam War , both HMAS " Perth " and HMAS " Hobart " of the Royal Australian Navy were awarded commendations . The " Perth " was awarded both the Navy Unit Commendation and the Meritorious Unit Commendation while the " Hobart " received the Navy Unit Commendation . The RAN ' s Clearance Diving Team 3 was awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation , twice awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for the periods January 1 , 1968 to December 31 , 1970 whilst part of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit , Pacific ( EODMUPAC ) and June 1 , 1969 to November 25 , 1970 as a unit of Inshore Undersea Warfare Group One ( IUWG1 ) , and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its work clearing the harbours of Vung Tau , Cam Ranh Bay , Qui Nhon , and Nha Trang between February 19 and June 30 , 1967 . 3d Armored Cavalry Squadron , Army of the Republic of Vietnam . In 1971 , the Presidential Unit Citation ( US ) was awarded to the 3d Armored Cavalry Squadron and attached U . S . Advisor / Liaison Personnel ( MACV ) for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy during the period January 1 , 1968 to September 30 , 1968 in Pleiku and Binh Dinh Provinces . The Squadron engaged a Viet Cong battalion near the city of Pleiku during the Tet Offensive . Elements of the Squadron spearheaded direct strikes against the 18th North Vietnamese Army regiment in other major engagements in Binh Dinh Province and the city of Phu My . On February 1 , 1968 , they fought a pitched battle with the Liberation Front ’ s H - 15 Local Force Battalion in or near Pleiku . In August 1968 , elements of the 3rd ARVN Cavalry , along with a reaction platoon from the 2 / 1st Cav , OPCONed to the 4th Inf , foiled an attempted NVA ambush , killing 31 enemy . The following day the soldiers found 10 more bodies bringing the toll to 41 enemy killed . – In the third day of enemy harassment of convoys along Highway 14 in Kontum Province , an estimated force of two NVA companies attacked a 4th Div convoy 14 miles south of Kontum with mortar , recoilless rifle , small arms , and rocket and machinegun fire . Armored cars from the 4th MP Company immediately returned the fire . At the outbreak of the attack , tanks and armored cavalry assault vehicles of the 3rd ARVN Cavalry and the 2 / 1st Cav , which had been deployed along the highway in anticipation of possible contact , began to pour heavy fire into the enemy positions . Under the onslaught of allied armor the enemy broke contact , leaving 41 killed behind . Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan . Task Force K - Bar . On December 7 , 2004 , at a private ceremony in California , President George W . Bush presented the Navy Presidential Unit Citation to the members of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - SOUTH / Task Force K - Bar ( CJSOTF - SOUTH / TF K - BAR ) . Task Force K - Bar was a Navy SEAL - led unit that served in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom from October 2001 to March 2002 , and it was decorated for " outstanding courage , resourcefulness , and aggressive fighting spirit in combat against a well equipped , well trained and treacherous terrorist enemy " . Task Force K - Bar was " joint " in that it included members of more than one service – Army Special Forces , Air Force combat controllers as well as Navy special warfare personnel – and " combined " in that it included military personnel from several countries . Besides United States personnel , special operations personnel from the following countries and units participated , earning the Navy Presidential Unit Citation . All of the eligible personnel of these units who served in Task Force K - Bar were awarded the unit citation . However , acceptance and wear of the award is subject to the rules and regulations of each of these countries ' armed forces . Operation Iraqi Freedom / Iraq War . Presidential Unit Citation to British units attached to 1st MEF . The U . S . I Marine Expeditionary Force ( 1st MEF ) , consisting of the 1st Marine Division and attached units , received the Navy Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in combat in Iraq from March 21 to April 24 , 2003 . Among the attached and supporting units cited were the following British units :