Appendix C
Medals and Awards
"All gave some; some gave all."
Author: unknown
Seabee Memorial Monument at Arlington, VA
U.S. Navy Photo
The following is a partial listing of the medals and awards presented to the 11th NCB and NMCB-11 and its personnel. It is also a listing of known KIA’s, WIA’s and accidental deaths. It is not complete by all means, but it is a summary of those medals and awards, special recognition, KIA’s and WIA’s, that have been included in various documents, including Seabee history, Cruise books, newsletters, deployment completion reports and Navy ship/unit awards and campaign participation.
No official listing of Battle Streamers has been located for the 11th NCB or NMCB-11. However, based on awards issued to the respective Battalions and Navy award criteria, some of these awards are listed below for information purposes. They were not authorized until the mid-1970s.
Many of the individuals who were recommended for medals and awards subsequently transferred or discharged prior to receipt of their medals and awards and their awards are not included here. We apologize in advance for any medals and awards misrepresented or not presented here.
I. Unit Awards, Honors and Citations
11th Naval
Construction Battalion
World War II Era (1942-1945)
Battle Streamers (Were not authorized until 1972)
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
December 7, 1941 - March 2, 1946
World War II Victory Medal
December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946
Philippine
Liberation Medal
October 17, 1944 – September 2, 1945
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Eleven
Cold War Starting with Korea
National Defense Service Medal
January 1, 1950 – July 27, 1954
Battle
Efficiency Award (Navy “E” Ribbon)
“Meat Ball”
Pennant
Period: 1961, 1962,
1963 & 1965
Note (1): NMCB’s were first selected for the “Battle
Efficiency” or “Best of Type” Award in FY 1957.
Note (2): NMCB-11 won the “Best of Type” Award in 1961,
1962, 1963, and 1965.
Note (3): The Chief of Naval Operations did not
authorize type commanders to award the Battle Efficiency Award (the letter
“E”) to Naval Mobile Construction Battalions until the spring of 1963. The
battalions who won the Best-of-Type Award for FY 1962 were the first NMCB’s
to receive the Battle “E” and to fly the distinctive “Meat Ball” pennant.
Therefore, NMCB-11 was the first Pacific Fleet battalion to win a Battle “E”
and fly the “Meat Ball”.
Note (4): The Secretary of the Navy
recommendation in June of 1976 established the Navy “E” Ribbon award to
replace the Battle Efficiency Award (the letter “E”) which had been sewn on
the sleeve of the uniform. The Battle Efficiency Award, called the Navy
Battle “E”, in addition to the ribbon, consists of a cloth insignia and a
battle pennant (streamer) to be displayed by the ship or unit winning the
award. Although at the time of their decommissioning in December 1969
NMCB-11 had no Battle “E” Ribbon Streamers, they would have been eligible to
fly a Battle Streamer from their organizational flagstaff with four “E”
awards for the period 1961 to 1965 at a later date.
Naval Construction Force Marksmanship Award
Pacific Fleet
NMCB-11, Port Hueneme,
CA, 1963
Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion Eleven
Vietnam
Era (1965-1969)
National Defense Service
Medal
January
1, 1961 – August 14, 1974
Navy Unit Commendation
Seabee Team 1104, Dong
Xoai, Vietnam, 1965
NMCB-11, Vietnam, 1 Sep 1966 - 31 Jul 1967
NMCB-11,
Vietnam, 1 Aug 1967 - 23 Oct 1967*
NMCB-11, Vietnam, 6 May
1968 - 8 Dec 1968*
Seabee Team 1114 (0316), 5 Jun 1969 – 31 Jan 1970
Note (1): * One award covers both periods
Note (2): NMCB-11 would have been authorized to
fly the Navy Unit Commendation Streamer from their organizational
flagstaff.
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Seabee Team 1108,
Lai Theiu, Vietnam, 1967
NMCB-11, 01 Jan 1969-23 Jan 1969*
NMCB-11, 16 Apr 1969-18 Nov 1969*
Seabee Team 1113 (0315), 5 Jun 1969 – 31
Jan 1970
Note (1): * One award covers both periods
Note (2): NMCB-11 would have been
authorized to fly the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer
from their organizational flagstaff.
Vietnam Service Medal (8 Stars)
Note (1): The below
Vietnamese campaigns were in effect during NMCB-11’s multiple deployments to
Vietnam. There were a total of 17 military campaigns; NMCB-11 was eligible
for 8 battle stars.
Note (2): STAT-1104 members were eligible
for an individual Bronze Star on their medal for the Defensive Campaign
period.
Note (3): NMCB-11 as a battalion would have
been eligible for a Vietnam Service Streamer with one Silver Star and
three Bronze Stars to fly on their organizational flagstaff. See campaigns
below.
STAT-1104 & Well Drill
Team, Vietnam
Eligibility
Defense Campaign – 8 Mar 1965 – 24 Dec 1965
NMCB-11
Eligibility
Battle Streamer w/ 1 silver star, 3 bronze
stars
Counteroffensive
I – 25 Dec 1965 – 30 Jun 1666
Counteroffensive II – 1 Jul 1966 – 31 May
1967
Counteroffensive III – 1 June 1967 – 20 Jan
1968
Counteroffensive IV – 2 Apr – 30 Jun 1968
Counteroffensive V – 1 Jul – 1 Nov 1968
Counteroffensive VI – 2 Nov 1968-22 Feb
1969
Summer-Fall 1969 – 23 Feb – 31 Oct 1969
Winter-Spring 1969 – 1 Nov 1969 – 30 Apr
1970
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation, Civil Actions
Medal, First Class Color w/Palm, Enclosed in Gold Colored Metal Frame
NMCB-11, 01 Feb
1966-17 Sep 1966**
NMCB-11, 28 Apr 1967-03 Dec 1967**
NMCB-11, 08 May 1968-19 Jan 1971**
Note (1): ** One award per multiple dates
Note (2): NMCB-11 would have been
authorized to fly the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Award
Streamer on their organizational flagstaff.
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation, Gallantry
Cross Medal w/Palm, Enclosed by Gold Colored Metal Frame
NMCB-11, 01 Apr
1967-31 Dec 1967**
NMCB-11, 01 May 1968-31 Jan 1969**
NMCB-11, 01 Mar 1969-31 May 1969**
NMCB-11, 01 Jun 1969-30 Sep 1969**
NMCB-11, 21 Sep 1969-31 Nov 1969**
Note (1): ** One award per multiple dates
Note (2): NMCB-11 would have been authorized to fly the
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Award Streamer on their
organizational flagstaff.