Awarded to military units in the name of the former South Vietnam to any military unit having distinguished itself to the same level as would be required for the individual award. For qualification, the unit award recognizes those military commands having performed deeds of valor or who have displayed heroic conduct while fighting an enemy force. Regulations for the issuance of the Vietnam Gallantry Cross permit the wearing of BOTH the individual and unit award simultaneously, since they are considered completely separate decorations. The unit citation award was created in 1968 and was issued as the Gallantry Cross ribbon, with a metal palm device, enclosed within a gold frame. The Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm was issued to every Allied nation which provided military support to Vietnam between 1 March 1961 and the fall of Saigon in April 1975. The unit decoration thus became the most commonly awarded Vietnamese decoration to foreigners, second only to the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. The U.S. Military began authorizing the Vietnam Gallantry Cross in March 1968 with retroactive presentation of the decoration to 1961. In 1974, Army General Order Number 8 authorized the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation to every military unit of the United States Army which had served under the Military Assistance Command from 1961 to 1974. This effectively granted the unit version of the award to any member of the U.S. Army who had served for any period of time in the Republic of Vietnam. Members of other services were not affected by the Army General Order and still required individual or unit orders for the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation to be awarded.