The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Second Lieutenant Aquilla M. Blaydes (MCSN: 0-27429), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in action against North Korean forces on 6 and 7 September 1950, while flying as a section leader of Marine Fighter Squadron THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE (VMF-323), on interdiction strikes deep in enemy territory. On 6 September 1950, Second Lieutenant Blaydes pressed home a dive bombing attack in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire on the main rail road bridge located at Koensong, and delivered a direct hit on his pin-point target. On the following day, 7 September 1950, Lieutenant Blaydes was a member of a flight assigned to bomb a rail bridge at a point south of Inchon. Although faced with intense and deadly anti-aircraft fire protecting the bridge, Lieutenant Blaydes drove home his attack with deadly accuracy and secured another direct hit, causing three of the bridge spans to fall into the water and making the bridge and rail supply line from Inchon and Suwon unserviceable. His outstanding achievement and skillful airmanship were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.