The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel Norman Glen Ewers (MCSN: 0-28152), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as the flight leader of a flight of seventeen helicopters of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE (HMM-163), in the Republic of Vietnam. On 31 March 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Ewers led his flight of seventeen helicopters in three successive helicopter assaults, transporting the Fifth Vietnamese Airborne Battalion, into an unsecured landing zone. Each assault was met by intense automatic weapons and rifle fire from an estimated two insurgent communist (Viet Cong) companies. Realizing that his aircraft and many others of the flight had been damaged by enemy fire during the first landing, Lieutenant Colonel Ewers unhesitatingly decided to continue the assault as to do otherwise would mean the annihilation of the troops delivered in the fearless disregard for his personal safety while leading the flight in the second landing, he kept his aircraft in an exposed position broadside to the area of the heaviest volume of enemy fire thus giving his aircraft gunner full opportunity to deliver suppressive fire while wounded assault troops were embarked aboard his aircraft. Although the volume of enemy fire increased, causing numerous casualties, Lieutenant Colonel Ewers again decided to return a third time with the remnants of his flight to successfully complete the landing of the assault troops. He once again chose the most exposed position in the landing zone for his own helicopter. By his courageous and daring actions, heroic leadership, and inspiring devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds, Lieutenant Colonel Ewers upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.