Distinguished Intelligence Cross
| Distinguished Intelligence Cross | |
|---|---|
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| Awarded for | "For a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage." |
| Country | United States of America |
| Presented by | Central Intelligence Agency |
| Eligibility | Employees of the Central Intelligence Agency |
| Precedence | |
| Next (lower) | Distinguished Intelligence Medal |
| Related | National Intelligence Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross |
The Distinguished Intelligence Cross is the highest decoration awarded by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It is given for "a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage". Only a handful of people have been awarded this medal in the history of the agency, most posthumously. As a consequence, it is one of the rarest awards for valor in the United States.[1][page needed]
The cross is the agency's equivalent of the military's Service Cross, i.e., Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross.[2][3][failed verification] The agency has two awards for valor; the other is the Intelligence Star, which is analogous to the military's Silver Star.[4][5]
Known recipients
[edit | edit source]- Leo F. Baker, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion[6]
- William F. Buckley
- John T. Downey[7]
- Richard Fecteau[8]
- Wade C. Gray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion[9]
- James Monroe, CIA paramilitary officer during Vietnam War [10]
- Thomas W. "Pete" Ray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion[11]
- Riley W. Shamburger, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion[9]
- Greg Vogle, paramilitary officer and CIA trailblazer[12][13]
- Molly Huckaby Hardy, posthumously for the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi[14]
- David N. Tyson, for actions during the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi[15]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ The very best men: four who dared, the early years of the CIA, by Evan Thomas, published by Simon and Schuster, 1996.
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- ^ Bush at War, Bob Woodward, Simon and Schuester, 2002, page 317.
- ^ Gup, Ted (2000). The Book of Honor: Cover Lives and Classified Deaths at the CIA.
- ^ Leo F. Baker
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- ^ LATimes.com - Bay of Pigs: the Secret Death of Pete Ray
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- ^ Harnden, Toby, "First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11". Little, Brown, 2021. p. 310-311