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 Lieutenant Commander Sam L. Silber, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Commander of a Fighting Squadron during World War II. Lieutenant Commander Silber led his planes in sorties over Truk during which they shot down five enemy planes. He led a fighter reconnaissance attack against Guam, during which a new air field was located and attacked, and two enemy planes were destroyed in the air and eight on the ground. While his squadron was escorting bombing strikes at Tinian, four enemy planes were shot down and an estimated 30 were destroyed on the ground.