The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant Michael D. Langston, United States Marine Corps, for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight while serving with Marine All Weather Attack Squadron TWO HUNDRED FORTY-TWO, Marine Aircraft Group Eleven, First Marine Aircraft in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. During the early morning hours of 9 February 1970, First Lieutenant Langston launched as Pilot aboard an A-6 Intruder aircraft assigned an armed reconnaissance mission along a heavily defended enemy supply route. Fifteen miles from the objective, he came under hostile antiaircraft artillery fire and quickly dropped to a low altitude to avoid the air bursts, although by so doing he was thus subjected to turbulence from storm clouds. At the same time, he suffered a malfunction of part of the navigational system, which would necessitate a manual range bombing run but, despite this adversity, fearlessly elected to continue his mission. First Lieutenant Langston’s approach to the target area was marked by an increased intensity in the antiaircraft fire with the enemy range becoming more accurate. Arriving over the target which was a rapidly moving truck convoy, he found the volume of hostile fire so heavy as to make the mission extremely dangerous. Rather than abort, however, he skillfully executed several complex maneuvers to avoid the fire and to delivery his ordnance with pinpoint accuracy upon the convoy, causing large secondary explosions and sustained fires. First Lieutenant Langston’s courage, superb aeronautical ability, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger were instrumental in accomplishing the hazardous mission and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.