The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Phillip Allen Kientzler (NSN: 0-6890659/671719), United States Navy, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Naval Flight Officer of a jet aircraft, attached to and serving with Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-THREE (VF-143), embarked in U.S.S. RANGER (CVA-61) during an attack on a missile site on 31 May 1966. While conducting an armed reconnaissance mission along the coast of North Vietnam, his aircraft was attacked by a surface-to-air missile which his pilot successfully avoided. After a second surface-to-air missile was fired at his aircraft, his pilot determined upon a bold plan of attack to destroy the missile site. By using their aircraft for bait, the enemy was induced to fire a third missile and to expose the location of the missile site. A fourth missile was fired and the missile site was pin-pointed. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Kientzler contributed to the successful execution of this plan by maintaining visual lookout until the missiles were sighted, and then providing altitude and heading information for his pilot during evasive maneuvers. When his pilot commenced the extremely dangerous rocket attack on the site, he contributed to the success of the attack with his calm ranger, altitude and airspeed calls. The rocket attack was conducted in the face of intense anti-aircraft and automatic weapons fire, and succeeded in heavily damaging the control and guidance equipment at the site. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Kientzler’s determination and extraordinary airmanship resulted in the successful completion of this daring attack and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.