The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain James B. Barr (MCSN: 0-90775), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 167 (HML-167), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. Early on the morning of 11 June 1970, Captain Barr launched as Section Leader of a flight of two UH-1E Huey helicopters assigned the mission of supporting the emergency medical evacuation of both Marine and Vietnamese casualties from a village located approximately twelve miles south of DaNang along the Ba Ren River which was under heavy enemy mortar attack. Arriving over the designated area, he found that enemy mortar rounds were impacting in the area approximately every four seconds, that the entire eastern portion of the village was in flames, and that the small contingent of Marines was under heavy pressure from the hostile force while attempting to defend the village. Rapidly assessing the situation, Captain Barr requested fixed-wing gunships and flare ships. When the aircraft arrived on station, he established a flight pattern for air strikes against the mortar emplacements and then, with complete disregard for his own safety, ignored the intense hostile fire directed against his Huey as he fearlessly maneuvered his aircraft on repeated rocket and strafing runs and delivered his ordnance with such devastating effectiveness that the enemy fire was silenced. After a transport helicopter had landed on a bridge he had selected as the most suitable extraction site, an extremely heavy volume of hostile mortar and automatic weapons fire was directed against the extraction aircraft. Unhesitatingly, Captain Barr boldly maneuvered his gunship on repeated strafing runs and delivered his fire so effectively that the enemy fire was suppressed sufficiently to enable a critically wounded Marine and two seriously wounded Vietnamese to be embarked and flown from the dangerous area. During the ensuing five hours, he expertly directed the actions of supporting aircraft and delivered such accurate and highly effective fire during rocket and strafing runs that several flights of transport helicopters were able to land in the same village and extract the numerous medical evacuees. As a result, his flight was instrumental in successfully supporting the medical evacuation of seventy casualties that day. By his courage, superior airmanship and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Captain Barr upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.