The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major Jack Allen Brandon (MCSN: 0-66095), United States Marine Corps, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as a Pilot with Marine Observation Squadron SIX (VMO-6), Provisional Marine Aircraft Group Thirty-Nine, First Marine Aircraft Wing in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. During the early morning hours of 8 July 1969, the Quang Tri Combat Base came under a heavy enemy 122-mm. rocket attack. Realizing the necessity of locating and destroying the hostile rocket positions, Major Brandon unhesitatingly rushed across the fire-swept terrain to the Squadron Ready Room and, rallying a crew, prepared to launch in a UH-1E helicopter gunship. Skillfully guiding the aircraft out of the revetments, he began to taxi toward the runway when two more rockets impacted on the airstrip. Although the helicopter was heavily laden with bombs, Major Brandon elected to lift-off downwind and over the many obstacles in his path to avoid passing through the impact area. As he maneuvered his aircraft forward in its takeoff run, another hostile rocket impacted near him, rocking the helicopter. Displaying superior aeronautical ability, Major Brandon resolutely continued his mission and successfully launched his aircraft. His bold initiative and timely actions inspired all who observed him and contributed significantly to the subsequent silencing of the North Vietnamese Army rocket positions. Major Brandon’s courage, superb airmanship and unswerving devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

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 Major Jack Allen Brandon (MCSN: 0-66095), United States Marine Corps, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as a Pilot with Marine Observation Squadron SIX (VMO-6), Provisional Marine Aircraft Group Thirty-Nine, First Marine Aircraft Wing in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 15 August 1969, Major Brandon launched as Section Leader of a flight of two armed UH-1E helicopters assigned the mission of supporting the insertion of a Marine reconnaissance team in Quang Tri Province. Shortly after completing the insertion, he was informed that the patrol had become heavily engaged in combat with a hostile force and required immediate extraction. Rapidly returning to the embattled Marines, Major Brandon completely disregarded his own safety as he skillfully maneuvered his aircraft on repeated rocket and strafing runs and delivered his ordnance with such effectiveness that the reconnaissance team was able to move out of the landing zone in preparation for fixed wing air strikes upon the enemy. Proceeding to the Vandegrift Combat Base, he quickly assessed the damage to his gunship caused by hostile fire, re-fueled and re-armed his aircraft, and resolutely returned to the beleaguered patrol just as the attack aircraft were completing their air strikes. Sighting a bunker fifty feet from the zone as the source of the heaviest volume of enemy fire, Major Brandon, undaunted by the intensity of the hostile fire directed at his helicopter, fearlessly maneuvered his gunship on a dangerously low, circling flight pattern directly in front of the bunker and directed his crew chief to deliver machine gun fire into the fortification. As a result, the enemy fire was silenced. Directing and escorting the extraction helicopters into the zone, he provided covering fire which enabled the reconnaissance team to be extracted. Major Brandon’s courage, superior airmanship and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.