U.S. military Special Operations group gets highest unit award

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina (CNN) -- Almost three decades after their unit was disbanded, members of a U.S. military Special Operations group have received special recognition for the dangerous work they performed during the Vietnam War.

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A U.S. military group receives a Presidential Unit Citation for its once-secret work in Vietnam. CNN's Gary Tuchman reports Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

It was the job of the Studies and Observation Group to sneak behind enemy lines to rescue downed pilots, report on the effectiveness of U.S. bombing runs and assess the movements of North Vietnamese troops.

The group included men from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

Members of that unit received a Presidential Unit Citation, which, according to the U.S. Army, is awarded for the same degree of heroism required for the individual awards of a Distinguished Service Cross or Navy Cross.

This unit, and the Tailwind operation, were profiled in a 1998 CNN report, which was later retracted. CNN is still a defendant in certain lawsuits surrounding that report.

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Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group
U.S. Army

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