The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Third Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Fourth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller near Quang Tri City, Republic of Vietnam, on 15 September 1972. On that date, Captain Personett at the desperate request of the ground commander elected to descend from his position of relative safety into the hostile anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile environment to expend his light machine gun ordnance and white phosphorus rockets onto advancing North Vietnamese Army troops inside the Citadel. He was personally credited with two hundred and twelve confirmed hostile troops killed by air, the surrender of over two hundred more hostile personnel, and helping to complete the final drive to liberate the Citadel. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Forward Air Controller near Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, on 19 August 1972. On that date, Captain Personett flew his lightly armed OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft in support of a Marine unit of the Republic of Vietnam which was under constant intense and accurate bombardment by numerous heavy artillery pieces. Despite intense anti-aircraft fire, the constant threat of an active surface-to-air missile site, and marginal weather conditions, Captain Personett directed tactical air strikes on the hostile positions, destroying numerous heavy artillery and anti-aircraft pieces, resulting in many explosions. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Forward Air Controller near Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, on 23 August 1972. On that date, while flying his lightly armed OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft, Captain Personett was directed to support a Marine Division under assault by several hostile companies supported by tanks. Despite low cloud ceilings, intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, and surface-to-air missiles, he directed tactical air strikes in a very close proximity to friendly forces destroying two tanks, three heavy mortars, fifteen automatic weapons, two re-supply caches, and five military vehicles causing two medium secondary explosions and four medium sustained fires, killing twenty-five hostile troops, and thereby forcing the hostile troops to retreat, until his aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile forcing an emergency landing. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.