The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Major Richard H. Meydag (MCSN: 0-83832), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Marine Observation Squadron SIX (VMO-6), Provisional Marine Aircraft Group Thirty-Nine, FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. Late on the afternoon of 24 April 1969, Major Meydag launched as Section Leader of a flight of two armed UH-1E helicopters assigned the mission of supporting the emergency extraction of an eight-man reconnaissance team in contact with a large North Vietnamese Army force in Quang Tri Province. Arriving over the designated area during a driving rain storm, he quickly located the beleaguered Marines in the dense jungle and directed them to a suitable landing zone. While Major Meydag skillfully maneuvered his gunship on repeated rocket and strafing runs against the enemy, one of the transport helicopters established a hover with its ramp on the slope of a hill and quickly embarked the team. As it began to lift out of the fire-swept area however, it was struck by a North Vietnamese rocket-propelled grenade and crashed into the hillside. All the Marines exited the burning aircraft and sought cover in two different locations. Rapidly assessing the situation, Major Meydag directed the two groups toward a central point and guided the second extraction helicopter to the downed men. Undaunted by the extremely heavy volume of hostile automatic weapons and machine gun fire directed against his helicopter, he fearlessly executed repeated firing runs which suppressed the North Vietnamese fire sufficiently to enable the transport helicopter to attain a hover and begin to hoist the Marines out of the perilous area. Only one man had been hoisted aboard when the aircraft was struck by intense hostile fire and forced to crash land nearby. After directing the downed crew to a central area, Major Meydag, despite the darkness and deteriorating weather conditions, skillfully coordinated fixed wing strikes with his flight’s rocket and strafing runs and provided such devastatingly accurate suppressive fire that enemy attempts to overrun the beleaguered Marines were successfully thwarted. Upon the arrival of a reaction force which was inserted under his protective cover, he then led his flight back to its base to refuel. Resolutely returning to the embattled area, Major Meydag again braved the intense North Vietnamese fire as he boldly maneuvered his gunships on repeated attacks and delivered such effective suppressive fire that the extraction helicopters were able to land and evacuate the remaining Marines without sustaining casualties. By his courage, superior airmanship and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Major Meydag was instrumental in saving the lives of his comrades and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.