The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Joel Marvin Warshaw (MCSN: 0-87450), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242 (VMA(AW)-242), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on 31 October 1967. Captain Warshaw launched as Flight Leader of two A-6 attack aircraft assigned a night interdiction mission against a vital highway and railroad bridge in the midst of a heavily defended area in North Vietnam. Despite the lack of radar significant checkpoints, he effectively utilized his aircraft’s complex navigational system to fly by instruments through the darkness to arrive at the initial point of approach to the target area. Aware that his aircraft had come under hostile radar surveillance, he skillfully flew his aircraft in a high speed low altitude approach, often descending to seventy-five feet, in order to break the North Vietnamese radar lock on his plane and to avoid the antiaircraft fire as he approached the target. Undaunted by the enemy’s surface-to-air missile defense, radar-controlled antiaircraft weapons, large barrage balloons trailing cables to the ground throughout the target area and the threat of hostile aircraft, Captain Warshaw courageously maintained his low level approach to the target. Less than a minute from the target release point, he observed a surface-to-air missile launched against his aircraft. Instantly, he maneuvered his aircraft in evasive action that succeeded in eluding the missile. At tree top level, he rapidly made precise heading corrections and climbed to 500 feet to deliver his ordnance with pinpoint accuracy on the target. Returning to a low level flight pattern, often at only fifty feet altitude he maneuvered his aircraft through extremely intense fire as he departed the area. By his bold initiative, dauntless courage and superb airmanship, Captain Warshaw was instrumental in the destruction of a vital target, reflecting great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.