The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander Henry Merritt Dibble (NSN: 0-504050/1310), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action as Air Wing Strike Leader and Pilot in Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN (VA-113), embarked in U.S.S. KITTY HAWK (CVA-63), during missions in support of combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam against the Viet Cong on 23 December 1965. Commander Dibble participated as Air Wing Strike Leader in the detailed planning and execution of a strike against the heavily defended Hai Doung railroad bridge linking Hanoi and Haiphong. As strike leader of sixteen attack and fighter-bomber aircraft assigned the task of protecting the main attack force from surface-to-air missiles, Commander Dibble, with utter disregard for his own safety, and in the face of extremely intense and accurate anti-aircraft and automatic weapons fire, observed the approach of the attack group and coordinated the surface-to-air missile suppression element so effectively that no missiles were fired at the attack group on its approach. In the vicinity of the target, while intentionally acting as a decoy and, after the fire of, and successful evasion of at least two surface-to-air missiles, Commander Dibble gallantly commenced a daring attack on the enemy missile site in the face of extremely intense automatic weapons and anti-aircraft fire. Although his own airplane was hit and damaged by enemy fire, Commander Dibble, with disregard for his own safety, continued to press home the attack until all of the attack bombers had completed their attack and successfully returned. By his heroic leadership, superb coordination and determined aggressiveness in the face of grave enemy opposition, Commander Dibble upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.