Distinguished Intelligence Cross
| Distinguished Intelligence Cross | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 39 people have been awarded this medal in the agency's history, 11 of them posthumously. As a consequence, it is the rarest award for valor in the United States.
The Cross is the agency's equivalent of the military's Medal of Honor and the Service Cross, i.e., Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross. The agency has two awards for valor; the other is the Intelligence Star, which is analogous to the military's Silver Star. The Distinguished Intelligence Cross and its recipients are the subject of the book "The 39: Uncovering the Secret Heroes of the CIA" by Toby Harnden, to be published by Simon and Schuster in March 2027.
Known recipients
- Leo F. Baker, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion
- William F. Buckley
- John T. Downey
- Richard Fecteau
- Wade C. Gray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion
- James Monroe, CIA paramilitary officer during Vietnam War
- Thomas W. "Pete" Ray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion
- Riley W. Shamburger, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion
- Greg Vogle, paramilitary officer and CIA trailblazer
- Molly Huckaby Hardy, posthumously for the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi
- David N. Tyson, for actions during the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
See also
References
- ↑ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-39/Toby-Harnden/9781668022054
- ↑ Robert M. Gaynor, Letter to the Editor, JOMSA, Volume 27, No. 10, October 1976.
- ↑ "Retired CIA Officers Receive Distinguished Intelligence Cross — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014.
- ↑ "CIA Medals: FACTBOOK ON INTELLIGENCE".
- ↑ Bush at War, Bob Woodward, Simon and Schuster, 2002, page 317.
- ↑ Gup, Ted (2000). The Book of Honor: Cover Lives and Classified Deaths at the CIA.
- ↑ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-39/Toby-Harnden/9781668022054
- ↑ Leo F. Baker
- ↑ "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved December 30, 2013.
- ↑ "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved December 30, 2013.
- 1 2 "Pete Ray, Leo Baker, Riley Shamburger, Wade Gray - CIA". www.cia.gov. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ↑ "CIA at war" (PDF). www.cia.gov. November 27, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2024.
- ↑ LATimes.com - Bay of Pigs: the Secret Death of Pete Ray
- ↑ "The CIA honored the officer who saved Hamid Karzai's life". Newsweek. September 18, 2017.
- ↑ Ian Shapira (October 28, 2021) [2017-09-18]. "The CIA acknowledges the legendary spy who saved Hamid Karzai's life — and honors him by name". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.[please check these dates]
- ↑ "20th Anniversary of the US Embassy Bombings in East Africa — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018.
- ↑ Harnden, Toby, "First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11". Little, Brown, 2021. p. 310-311