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 (Field Artillery), [then First Lieutenant (Infantry) Harry W. Candler, Jr., United States Army, for heroism while participating in aerial flight while participating in an untried counterinsurgency heliborne tactic on 9 April 1963, near Bac Lieu, Republic of Vietnam. Captain Candler was serving as co-pilot, gunner, of an armed UH-1B helicopter that was assigned the mission of carrying out an experimental raid technique known as ÒEagle FlightÓ. During the conduct of the operation, Captain Candler was responsible for the effective employment of the integral machine gun system. His crew’s mission was to provide covering fire for landing troops carrying UH-1B’s that contained a special Ranger company of Army of the Republic of Vietnam. As the Eagle Flight, composed of five armed and four unarmed helicopters, searched the area forward of an advanced ARVN ground force and intercepted the retreating insurgents as they fled from village to village in the face of the advancing battalions. Once sighted, Captain Candler and his crew were swept from the sky and disembarked the unarmed ships in his charge while his personal craft, provided air cover. After the Rangers had been committed, Captain Candler flew past the objective and stopped the now disorganized insurgents by repeatedly forcing them to surrender or by using his gun system to kill those who charged his aircraft. Captain Candler voluntarily returned to the battle scene numerous times during the day. His heroic performance in the conduct of this untried aerial technique disrupted the retreating insurgents, provided valuable knowledge to ground elements and proved to aerial tacticians that this was a concept worthy of emulation. His courageous action reflects utmost credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.