The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Charles W. Fleischer, Jr. (MCSN: 0-104098), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO (HMM-262), Marine Aircraft Group Sixteen, FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 6 March 1970, First Lieutenant Fleischer launched as Section Leader in the second flight of transport helicopters assigned a mission of inserting Marine forces into enemy-controlled territory southwest of Thuong Duc in Quang Nam Province. After he had debarked his passengers without incident, he returned to the An Hoa Combat Base for a second group of Marines. As he commenced his approach to the area the second time, however, he learned that the first team was heavily engaged with North Vietnamese Army forces occupying a well-fortified bunker complex but, aware of the necessity to reinforce the men already on the ground, he fearlessly elected to land in the contested zone. Upon touchdown his aircraft immediately came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire from strategically located hostile soldiers and seventeen of his passengers were wounded. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he lifted off but as he did so, the enemy fire increased to such a volume that the helicopter received crippling damage. Skillfully negotiating a series of intricate maneuvers, First Lieutenant Fleischer landed his aircraft on a level plot of land and quickly centered the controls to prevent it from turning over and further injuring the already wounded men. Although the determined enemy soldiers continued to pour fire at the stricken helicopter, First Lieutenant Fleischer unhesitatingly debarked through the emergency door and directed the lesser wounded men to aid those who were serious casualties to debark and take cover in the tall elephant grass surround the area, while he carried men to relative safety. Boldly traversing the fire-swept terrain again, he reentered the aircraft, cut the incapacitated crew chief from his safety harness, and destroyed all classified material board the helicopter. While awaiting the medical evacuation aircraft, he valiantly moved about the hazardous area to encourage the Marines and ensure that all were receiving first aid treatment, and simultaneously directed the air strikes of support aircraft. Realizing that his location was unsuitable for a landing site, he selected a more tenable zone and, although constantly harassed by hostile fire, laboriously assisted the stricken men to move to the new position. Despite the vigorous activities of the gunships, enemy fire was still too intense to permit the evacuation aircraft to land and, for the next several hours, First Lieutenant Fleischer disregarded his own safety as he moved to dangerously exposed vantage points to pinpoint hostile targets and coordinate bombing and strafing runs on the bunker complex. As a result of his heroic actions, the North Vietnamese Army bunkers were destroyed and the stricken men were medically evacuated without further incident. By his courage, bold initiative and selfless devotion to duty at grave personal risk, First Lieutenant Fleischer was instrumental in saving several Marine lives and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.