The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Gary L. Gottschalk, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight during an air rescue mission deep in North Vietnam on 6 November 1965. In an attempt to rescue several downed U.S. Air Force men, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Gottschalk, while subjected to intense anti-aircraft and small arms fire, flew for an extended period within surface-to-air missile envelopes. Through his alert actions in calling anti-aircraft fire, he saved his flight leader from being hit. Despite the hazards of low-level flight at night in rugged, mountainous terrain, he boldly elected to continue the search after darkness. When the position of one survivor was established, he made repeated passes at dangerously low altitudes in order to determine the optimum approach for the rescue helicopter. After the location of another downed airman had been established, he remained on the scene, despite a dangerously low fuel state, to point out the exact location of the survivor to relieving aircraft.