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 Chief Warrant Officer Thomas P. Lundgren (ASN: W-3150442), United States Army, for heroism while participating in aerial flight as a member of the 15th Transportation Detachment, 1st Cavalry Division, on 26 February 1962, in Korea. Warrant Officer Lundgren was the pilot of a H-19C Chickasaw helicopter carrying a co-pilot and five passengers. In an attempt to land the helicopter at a helipad in mountainous terrain, the anti-torque mechanism suddenly failed and the aircraft began to vibrate violently at approximately one hundred feet above the ground. As the helicopter settled earthward, directional control was lost and the aircraft started to turn away from the helipad into a wooded area. In this sudden emergency, Warrant Officer Lundgren demonstrated outstanding technical competence, sound judgment, and presence of mind. Despite the extreme difficulty in maintaining control of the helicopter, he succeeded in maneuvering its tail boom against a tree, thereby stabilizing the aircraft, and preventing it from completely spinning out of control. After assuring that his passengers were evacuated and a safe distance away, he then attempted to save the helicopter by hover-taxiing it to the helipad. When the tail boom became dislodged from the tree, the helicopter rotated violently, became completely uncontrollable, crashed, and immediately burst into flames. When the aircraft crashed, the co-pilot was trapped on the flight deck. Warrant Officer Lundgren assisted him to safety through the pilot’s emergency exit, then evacuated himself before the burning aircraft became completely engulfed by flames. Warrant Officer Lundgren’s complete disregard for his own personal safety, quick thinking, and courageous action saved the lives of his passengers and copilot and reflects the utmost credit on himself in the military service. (This award supersedes the previous award of the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement on 26 February 1962, as announced in General Orders Number 46, dated 2 April 1962, Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division, APO 24, San Francisco, California.)