The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander Harold Francis Griffith, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in aerial combat as Pilot of an A-1H aircraft while serving as Commanding Officer of attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE (VA-45), a unit of Attack Carrier Air Wing FOURTEEN, embarked in U.S.S. RANGER (CVA-61), on 31 January 1966. Commander Griffith, as leader of a flight of six aircraft, directed and coordinated simultaneous attack under extremely adverse weather conditions against a heavily defended primary enemy line of communication, destroying a major bridge. He diverted his other aircraft to alternate targets because of the weather, while he and his wingman, in the face of intense ground fire destroyed a second highway bridge, and two major supply staging areas. While retiring from the target area, an urgent request was received for assistance in locating an aircraft reported down in a nearby area. Commander Griffith immediately directed his detached sections to search the offshore area while he searched inland through a barrage of ground fire in desperate attempts to locate the downed aircraft. As he climbed into the overcast to escape the ground fire his aircraft sustained two severe hits which rolled in inverted. Through superb airmanship he regained control and recovered from the inverted dive in which he emerged from the overcast. He executed a successful emergency landing at a distant friendly airbase. Meanwhile a section of his flight located the survivor offshore and provided protective cover. Commander Griffith’s selfless heroism and loyal devotion to duty in the face of grave danger upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.