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 Major James A. Lange, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-100 pilot in Southeast Asia on 26 March 1968. On that date, Major Lange was in a flight scrambled from alert status during the night to support a besieged United States Army fire base camp located in mountainous terrain near Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam. Although faced with nearly insurmountable obstacles as weak and ineffective flare lighting, high winds, a single run-in heading and a mountain peak which was obscured by clouds, Major Lange attacked through a broken cloud layer in very low visibility, placing all his bombs precisely on target. Major Lange then made numerous strafing passes in the face of intense ground fire so effectively that the hostile attack was broken and repulsed. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Major Lange reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.