The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Nelson E. Brown (MCSN: 0-36006), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy while serving with a Marine Fighter Squadron in Korea. On 30 June 1953, as a member of a division of Marine jet fighter-bombers, Captain Brown participated in an armed reconnaissance mission to seek out and destroy targets of opportunity along the enemy’s main supply route in North Korea. Locating a heavily defended road bridge, Captain Brown initiated a minimum altitude bombing assault. Diving through intense hostile anti-aircraft fire, he scored direct bomb hits on the bridge that caused severe damage. Continuing the reconnaissance, he sighted another bridge and, despite increasingly accurate defensive fire, conducted a low-level attack that damaged a portion of the structure and cut its connecting road. Captain Brown’s exceptional bombing accuracy and perseverance were responsible for the destruction of two vital links in the enemy’s route of supply to front line troops. His courageous conduct, superb airmanship and steadfast devotion to duty throughout reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.