The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Richard P. L. Bland (MCSN: 0-80411), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR (HMM-364), Marine Aircraft Group THIRTY-SIX (MAG-36), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 4 June 1968, Captain Bland was Aircraft Commander of a CH-46 transport helicopter assigned to extract a ten man reconnaissance team that had sustained a casualty and was in danger of being overrun by a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force in Thau Thien Province. Proceeding to the designated area despite rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, he effectively coordinated the rocket and strafing runs of supporting gunships with the suppressive fire of his aerial gunners against hostile positions within thirty meters of the friendly perimeter. Upon being informed that the reconnaissance team had sustained additional casualties, he maneuvered his aircraft to a hover twenty feet above the dense jungle canopy and steadfastly ignored the heavy volume of enemy fire directed at his helicopter during the forty minutes required to hoist the wounded men aboard, simultaneously directing all available suppressive fire against the hostile positions. Despite the severe battle damage sustained by his aircraft, he skillfully departed the hazardous area and proceeded under the heavy overcast to a medical facility at Phu Bai. Obtaining another helicopter, he quickly returned to the reconnaissance team’s position and, coordinating his approach with two gunships, unhesitatingly established a hover over the beleaguered men. Undaunted by the extremely heavy volume of enemy fire, he steadfastly held his exposed position for thirty minutes until the remaining five Marines were hoisted aboard before expeditiously departing for Phu Bai. Later that afternoon, Captain Bland again responded to an urgent request to extract another reconnaissance team heavily engaged with the enemy along the side of a ridge. Maintaining a 150 foot hover for fifty minutes in the face of intense hostile fire, he succeeded in extracting the entire team and then returned to his base. By his courage, superb airmanship and selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Captain Bland undoubtedly saved the lives of several Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.