The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Dennis O. Merrill, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 27 October 1967, as Bombardier and Navigator of an A-6A aircraft. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Merrill planned and executed a single-plane, night radar mission on a heavily defended railroad ferry slip in North Vietnam. Despite buffeting of his aircraft by exploding surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire, he flawlessly navigated his plane to the objective and successfully completed his mission.