From the personal collection of Gilbert J. Raynor and the
U.S.S. KITKUN BAY Association
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES Camp General Emilio Aquinaldo, Quezon City
12 October 1984 AGMD2 GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 797
AWARD OF THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC PRESIDENTIAL
UNIT CITATION BADGE
By direction of the President, pursuant to paragraph 91 1, Section II, Armed Forces of the Philippines Regulations G 131-052, this Headquarters, dated 24 April 1967, as amended, the PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION BADGE is hereby awarded to
TASK UNIT SEVENTY-SEVEN POINT FOUR POINT THREE, consisting of the U.S.S. FANSHAW BAY and VC-88; U.S.S. GAMBIER BAY and VC-10;
U.S.S. KALININ BAY and VC-3; U.S.S. KITKUN BAY and VC-5; U.S.S. SAINT LO and VC-65; U.S.S. WHITE PLAINS and VC-4; U.S.S. HOEL, U.S.S. JOHNSTON, U.S.S. HEERMANN, U.S.S. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS,
U.S.S. RAYMOND, U.S.S. DENNIS and U.S.S. JOHN C. BUTLER
for acts and services of exceptional gallantry and heroism rendered by its officers and crew to the Philippines and its people during the battle off Samar, Philippines, on 25 October 1944 when Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy III), to which USS KITKUN BAY belonged, was given a vital mission to protect General MacArthur’s forces in Leyte Gulf. As the Central Japanese Force steamed through San Bernardino Strait towards Leyte Gulf, Task Unit 77.4.3 was suddenly attacked by hostile cruisers on its port hand, destroyers on the starboard and battleships from the rear. Quickly laying down a heavy smoke screen, the gallant ships of the Task Unit fiercely waged a battle against the superior speed and firepower of the advancing enemy, swiftly launching and rearming aircraft and violently zigzagging in protection of vessels stricken by hostile armor-piercing shells and suicide bombers. The courageous determination and the superb teamwork of the officers and men of the USS KITKUN BAY greatly contributed to the Task Unit’s mission of effecting the retirement of a hostile force that threatened the Leyte invasion operation. By these achievements, TASK UNIT SEVENTY-SEVEN POINT FOUR POINT THREE earned the lasting admiration of the Philippine Republic and its people.
BY ORDER OF THE DEFENSE MINISTER:
OFFICIAL:
SINFOROSO L DUQUE Brigadier General, AFP The Adjutant General
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Letter from Captain Walter V.R. Vieweg, Commanding Officer
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Victory Metal – World War II
Criteria: Awarded to any member of the United States military who served on active duty, or as a reservist, between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946. The World War II Victory Medal was first issued as a ribbon, and was referred to simply as the “Victory Ribbon.” By 1946, a full medal had been established which was referred to as the World War II Victory Medal. There is no minimum service time limit for the issuance of the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Personnel Records Center has reported some cases of service members receiving the award for simply a few days of service. As the Second World War ended in August 1945, there are also cases of service members, who had enlisted in 1946, receiving the decoration without having been a veteran of World War II.
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Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Ribbon
Criteria: Awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945. There were twenty one official campaigns of the Pacific Theater, denoted on with a service star. The arrowhead device is authorized for those campaigns involving amphibious assaults. Credible campaigns for the Pacific Theater are as follows: Philippine Islands 7 Dec 41 – 10 May 42; Burma, 1942 7 Dec 41 – 26 May 42; Central Pacific 7 Dec 41 – 6 Dec 43; East Indies 1 Jan 42 – 22 Jul 42; India-Burma 2 Apr 42 – 28 Jan 45; Air Offensive, Japan 17 Apr 42 – 2 Sep 45; Aleutian Islands 3 Jun 42 – 24 Aug 43; China Defensive 4 Jul 42 – 4 May 45; Papua 23 Jul 42 – 23 Jan 43; Guadalcanal 7 Aug 42 – 21 Feb 43; New Guinea 24 Jan 43 – 31 Dec 44; Northern Solomons 22 Feb 43 – 21 Nov 44; Eastern Mandates 7 Dec 43 – 14 Jun 44; Bismarck Archipelago 15 Dec 43 – 27 Nov 44; Western Pacific 17 Apr 44 – 2 Sep 45; Leyte 17 Oct 44 – 1 Jul 45; Luzon 15 Dec 44 – 4 Jul 45; Central Burma 29 Jan 45 – 15 Jul 45; Southern Philippines 27 Feb 45 – 4 Jul 45; Ryukyus 26 Mar 45 – 2 Jul 45; China Offensive 5 May 45 – 2 Sep 45. Additionally, the following Pacific Theater “blanket” campaigns qualify – but without service stars: Antisubmarine 7 Dec 41 – 2 Sep 45; Ground Combat: 7 Dec 41 – 2 Sep 45; Air Combat: 7 Dec 41 – 2 Sep 45.
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Philippine Liberation Ribbon
Criteria: Awarded to any service member, of both Philippine and allied militaries, who participated in the liberation of the Philippine Islands between the dates of October 17, 1944 and September 2, 1945. To be awarded the medal, a service member must have served in the Philippines for at least thirty days during the eligible time period, or must have participated in one of the following actions: Participation in the initial landing operation of Leyte and adjoining islands from October 7 to October 20, 1944; or Participation in any engagement against hostile Japanese forces during the Philippine Liberation Campaign of October 17, 1944 to September 2, 1945. Personnel who are awarded the medal for participation in the above mentioned operations are authorized a service star to the Philippine Liberation Medal. Personnel who earned the medal for general service during the eligible time period are awarded the medal without device.
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Good Conduct Metal – World War II
Criteria for a Good Conduct Medal is defined by Executive Orders 8809, 9323, and 10444. The medal is awarded to any active-duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three (or, until 1996 in the Navy, four) consecutive years of “honorable and faithful service”. Such service implies that a standard enlistment was completed without any non-judicial punishment, disciplinary infractions, or court martial offenses. If a service member commits an offense, the three-year mark “resets” and a service member must perform an additional three years of service without having to be disciplined, before the Good Conduct may be authorized.
During times of war, the Good Conduct Medal may be awarded for one year of faithful service. The Good Conduct Medal may also be awarded posthumously, to any service member killed in the line of duty.
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Honorable Service Lapel Button and Honorable Discharge Emblem
Honorable Service from 8 Sep 1939 through 31 Dec 1946. A gold color metal lapel button 7/16 inch in height and 5/8 inch in width, a dexter eagle with wings displayed perched within a ring which displays thirteen vertical stripes with a chief, the dexter.
