Distinguished Intelligence 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]
| 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 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] 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
- 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]
- Thomas W. "Pete" Ray, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion[10]
- Riley W. Shamburger, posthumously for the Bay of Pigs invasion[9]
- Greg Vogle, paramilitary officer and CIA trailblazer[11][12]
- Molly Huckaby Hardy, posthumously for the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi[13]
- David N. Tyson, for actions during the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi[14]
References
- The very best men: four who dared, the early years of the CIA, by Evan Thomas, published by Simon and Schuster, 1996.
- "Retired CIA Officers Receive Distinguished Intelligence Cross — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-04-01.
- "CIA Medals: FACTBOOK ON INTELLIGENCE".
- 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
- "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved 2013-12-30.
- "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved 2013-12-30.
- "Pete Ray, Leo Baker, Riley Shamburger, Wade Gray - CIA". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- LATimes.com - Bay of Pigs: the Secret Death of Pete Ray
- "The CIA honored the officer who saved Hamid Karzai's life". Newsweek. 18 September 2017.
- Ian Shapira (2021-10-28) [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.
- "20th Anniversary of the US Embassy Bombings in East Africa — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-04-02.
- Harnden, Toby, "First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11". Little, Brown, 2021. p. 310-311
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