United States Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation Insignia : D Company, 6 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

Rectangular brass frame of laurel leaves enclosing a blue ribbon with a brooch-pin fitting on the back.

The United States Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation was awarded to D Company, 6 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) for its role in the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966. The citation reads, ‘By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army. D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on August 18, 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation north-east of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately became engaged in heavy contact As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attached on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men of D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties upon the Viet Cong The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and a low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence position of D Company. The conspicuous gallantry, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were in the highest tradition of military valor [sic] and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army’. The insignia could be worn on the uniforms of personnel of D Company 6 RAR over the right breast.