The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Forward Air Controller near Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, on 23 August 1972. On that date, while flying his lightly armed OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft, Captain Personett was directed to support a Marine Division under assault by several hostile companies supported by tanks. Despite low cloud ceilings, intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, and surface-to-air missiles, he directed tactical air strikes in a very close proximity to friendly forces destroying two tanks, three heavy mortars, fifteen automatic weapons, two re-supply caches, and five military vehicles causing two medium secondary explosions and four medium sustained fires, killing twenty-five hostile troops, and thereby forcing the hostile troops to retreat, until his aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile forcing an emergency landing. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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Awards Received
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Air Force Cross
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
CaptainBatallion:
20th Tactical Air Support SquadronDivision:
DaNang Air Base, VietnamAction Date:
September 15, 1972
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Third Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Fourth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller near Quang Tri City, Republic of Vietnam, on 15 September 1972. On that date, Captain Personett at the desperate request of the ground commander elected to descend from his position of relative safety into the hostile anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile environment to expend his light machine gun ordnance and white phosphorus rockets onto advancing North Vietnamese Army troops inside the Citadel. He was personally credited with two hundred and twelve confirmed hostile troops killed by air, the surrender of over two hundred more hostile personnel, and helping to complete the final drive to liberate the Citadel. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
CaptainBatallion:
20th Tactical Air Support SquadronDivision:
DaNang Air Base, VietnamAction Date:
August 19, 1972
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Forward Air Controller near Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, on 19 August 1972. On that date, Captain Personett flew his lightly armed OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft in support of a Marine unit of the Republic of Vietnam which was under constant intense and accurate bombardment by numerous heavy artillery pieces. Despite intense anti-aircraft fire, the constant threat of an active surface-to-air missile site, and marginal weather conditions, Captain Personett directed tactical air strikes on the hostile positions, destroying numerous heavy artillery and anti-aircraft pieces, resulting in many explosions. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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Air Force Cross
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
CaptainBatallion:
20th Tactical Air Support SquadronDivision:
DaNang Air Base, VietnamAction Date:
September 16 & 17, 1972
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Captain Joseph Albert Personett, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Forward Air Controller of the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, DaNang Air Base, Vietnam, in action at Mo Duc, Republic of Vietnam, on 16 and 17 September 1972. On that night, Captain Personett flew two sorties in his lightly armed OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft in monsoon weather conditions to support a small allied unit undergoing heavy ground assault by a hostile force twenty times its size. Using every means available, naval and ground artillery, tactical air support, and finally his own light internal ordnance, Captain Personett, in desperation, disregarding extremely intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, made repeated devastating low level attacks which stopped the hostile advance short of the friendly perimeter. Credited with two hundred and sixty-five confirmed hostile personnel killed, and twenty mortars and guns destroyed before his heavily battle-damaged aircraft was finally shot down, Captain Personett’s achievements were recognized by the Ground Commander as having personally saved his position and the lives of one hundred and twenty defenders. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Captain Personett reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
CaptainBatallion:
20th Tactical Air Support SquadronDivision:
DaNang Air Base, VietnamAction Date:
September 22, 1972
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat “V” to Captain Joseph A. Personett, United States Air Force, for heroism while participating in aerial flight as an OV-10 Forward Air Controller over Southeast Asia on 22 September 1972. On that date, Captain Personett flew his lightly armed aircraft in support of a surrounded and besieged unit of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Due to the non-availability of tactical air support, Captain Personett, using his own aircraft to deliver its ordnance on hostile gun positions, successfully led the re-supply and medical evacuation of the friendly forces. After expending all of his ordnance, Captain Personett continued to make repeated low passes over the hostile gun positions to draw fire away from the re-supply and medical evacuation aircraft until all aerial operations had been completed. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Captain Personett reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.