Appendix C
Medals and Awards

"All gave some; some gave all."
Author: unknown

Seabee Memorial Monument at Arlington, VA
U.S. Navy Photo

Partial Listing of Medals and Awards
   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.

     
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