The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Air Corps) Donald J. MacLellan (ASN: 0-790369), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action while serving with the 3d Bombardment Group (Light), FIFTH Air Force, in action off Chia-Tsu-Point, Kwantung Province, China, on 5 April 1945. Captain MacLellan with other officers and enlisted men, were crew members of three A-20 Havoc aircraft which carried out an extreme range mission against a Japanese convoy consisting of a destroyer, four destroyer escorts, and a medium-sized freighter. As an experiment, belly tanks were attached to the wings of the A-20s to increase their range sufficiently so that they could accompany B-25 medium bombers. These A-20s proceeded to a scheduled rendezvous with a formation of B-25 aircraft and a fighter escort. When the B-25s failed to make the rendezvous, the A-20 crews nevertheless proceeded to the target although they were fully aware of the extreme danger involved in attacking five warships and a freighter with only three airplanes. Deploying in the most strategic manner, they made a run over the vessels and in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire succeeded in destroying the freighter and scoring a near miss on one of the destroyer escorts. The outstanding courage displayed by these officers and enlisted men in participating in one of the longest missions ever flown by A-20 aircraft and the gallantry in carrying it out in the face of overwhelming enemy opposition reflect the highest traditions of the United States Army Air Forces.