The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Richard F. Daniels, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy on 23 May 1967, as Commander of a helicopter during a rescue of a downed pilot over enemy territory. When an earlier attempt to rescue an airman downed 35 miles from Haiphong was unsuccessful due to heavy concentrations of enemy small arms fire, Lieutenant Daniels flew his helicopter into enemy territory to attempt the rescue. He continued his flight, reached the area of the downed airman, and hovered over the spot for twenty minutes while making the rescue. He evaded numerous enemy anti-aircraft barrages, then secured one of his engines to provide maximum fuel economy. When he landed safely aboard U.S.S. WORDEN (DLG-18) his aircraft had only two to three minutes of fuel remaining.