Distinguished Unit Citations

This Distinguished Unit Citation was awarded for the 38th Bomb Groups part in the battle for Buna-Gona Campaign which opened the north shore of New Guinea to occupation by the allied forces.

The Papuan Forces, United States Army, Southwest Pacific Area, are cited for outstanding performance of duty in action during the period July 23, 1942 to January 23, 1943. When a bold and aggresive enemy invaded Papua in strength, the combined action of ground and air units of these forces, in association with Allied units, checked the hostile advance, drove the enemy back to the seacoast and in a series of actions against the highly organized defensive zone, utterly destroyed him. Ground combat forces, operating over jungle-covered mountains and swamps, demonstrated their courage and resourcefulness in closing with the enemy who took every advantage of the nearly impossible terrain. Air forces, by repeatedly attacking the enemy ground forces and installations, by destroying his convoys attempting reinforcement and and supply, and by transporting ground forces and supplies  to areas for which land routes were non-existant and sea routes slow and hazardous, made possible the success of the ground operations. Service units, operating far forward of their normal positions and at times in advance of of ground combat elements, built landing fields in the jungle, established and operated supply points and provided for the hospitalization and evacuation of the wounded and sick. Th courage, spirit, and devotion to duty of all elements of the command made possible the complete victory attained.

WD GO 21, 1943