The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force as Aircraft Commander of an A-26 Attack Aircraft of the 603d Air Commando Squadron, Nakhon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in action in Southeast Asia on 30 April 1967. On that date, Captain McCleskey was engaged in conducting a night armed reconnaissance mission in an extremely mountainous and heavily fortified area when he detected a hostile force’s vehicular convoy. After having completely destroyed it, another convoy was detected, attacked, and destroyed. Proceeding on their reconnaissance mission, a third convoy was detected, and extremely heavy damage was wrought on the convoy despite tenacious hostile ground fire which struck his aircraft. Captain McCleskey succeeded in completely destroying this third convoy, thus enabling a new record kill for a single aircraft of this type. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Captain McCleskey has reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Air Force.
Sponsored by:
Awards Received
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Defense Superior Service Medal
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Defense Superior Service Medal
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Legion of Merit
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Silver Star
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Defense Superior Service Medal
Under the provisions of Department of Defense 1348.33-M, the Secretary of Defense has awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Defense Superior Service Medal to Colonel James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for exceptionally superior service to the Department of Defense as Deputy Inspector General, then Inspector General, Defense Intelligence Agency, from June 1985 to June 1989. During his tenure, he significantly improved many of the agency’s administrative and substantive operations, successfully resolved wide-ranging fraud, waste, and abuse issues, and demonstrated to all levels of agency personnel his abiding interest in their well-being. Colonel McCleskey provided highly effective staff direction and quality control over inquiries and sensitive investigations conducted at both CONUS and OCONUS locations. His establishment of a HOTLINE program greatly increased personnel access to the Office of the Inspector General and provided an additional management tool in assessing workforce perceptions and morale. Within the defense attach system, Colonel McCleskey was instrumental in improving the Department of Defense’s Human Resource Intelligence Management System, the performance of the offices, and the quality of life of the people serving at these sites. The distinctive accomplishments of Colonel McCleskey reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Air Force, and the Department of Defense.
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Defense Superior Service Medal
Under the provisions of Department of Defense 1348.33-M, the Secretary of Defense has awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal to Colonel James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for exceptionally superior service to the Department of Defense as Air Attach, United States Defense Attach Office, Vienna, Austria, Defense Intelligence Agency, from June 1982 to June 1985. Through his continuous and diligent efforts, Colonel McCleskey expanded the store of intelligence information available to the national Intelligence Community on both Austria and the neighboring Warsaw Pact countries. His high personal standards of excellence enabled him to perform his intelligence collection and reporting mission and his representational mission in an optimum manner. Colonel McCleskey successfully completed his mission and established impressive professional contacts. The results of his efforts enhanced the goals and objectives of the Office and will continue to do so for years to come. The distinctive accomplishments of Colonel McCleskey reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Air Force, and the Department of Defense.
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Legion of Merit
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
ColonelAction Date:
July 10, 1989 – June 30, 1991
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Colonel James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Deputy Commander for Intelligence, 602d Tactical Air Control Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, from 10 July 1989 to 30 June 1991. During this period the exemplary ability, diligence, and devotion to duty of Colonel McCleskey were instrumental factors in the resolution of many complex problems of major importance to the Air Force. He revitalized the intelligence role within the 836th Air Division and 602d Tactical Air Control Wing and created new channels of vital information flow among higher headquarters, the wing, and the wing’s deployed units. Colonel McCleskey’s insistence on quality and realism resulted in improved wing and squadron intelligence briefings and more effective exercise inputs. During the 1990 wing unit effectiveness inspection, his leadership earned his directorate the first “Excellent” rating awarded to wing intelligence by the Tactical Air Command inspector general in several years. During Operation DESERT STORM, with almost his entire staff deployed, Colonel McCleskey single-handedly continued providing quality intelligence information to support our battlefield and counternarcotics mission. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Colonel McCleskey culminate a long and distinguished career in the service of his and reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
CaptainBatallion:
603d Air Commando SquadronDivision:
Nakhon Royal Thai Air Force Base, ThailandAction Date:
April 27, 1967
Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Order G-1874 (October 30, 1967)The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Aircraft Commander of an A-26 Attack Aircraft of the 603d Air Commando Squadron, Nakhon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in action in Southeast Asia on 27 April 1967. On that date, Captain McCleskey was engaged in night aerial bombardment and gunnery strikes against hostile forces vehicles. Despite a mountainous terrain and adverse weather, Captain McCleskey attacked a vehicular convoy. Under heavy ground fire, Captain McCleskey pressed his attack, destroying four trucks and an indeterminate number of hostile forces troops. The professional competence, aerial skill and devotion to duty displayed by Captain McCleskey reflect great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Air Force.
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
CaptainBatallion:
603d Air Commando SquadronDivision:
Nakhon Royal Thai Air Force Base, ThailandAction Date:
February 22, 1967
Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Order G-1194 (August 13, 1967)The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat “V” to Captain James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for heroism while participating in aerial flight as Aircraft Commander of an A-26 Attack Aircraft of the 603d Air Commando Squadron, Nakhon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in action in Southeast Asia on 22 February 1967. On that date, Captain McCleskey was flying an armed reconnaissance mission when he detected a heavily defended hostile force’s vehicular convoy. After attacking and successfully silencing the hostile gun positions, Captain McCleskey turned his attention toward the hostile vehicles and succeeded in setting several of them on fire. Subsequently, ground fire struck the aircraft and set it on fire. All attempts by Captain McCleskey to extinguish the blaze were fruitless and realizing that he could not save the aircraft, he egressed successfully, making certain the crippled aircraft would fall away from populated areas. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Captain McCleskey reflect great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Air Force.
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Silver Star
Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Order G-47 (March 4, 1968)The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Captain James Leroy McCleskey (AFSN: FR-62681), United States Air Force, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force as Aircraft Commander of an A-26 Attack Aircraft in Southeast Asia on 22 February 1967. On that date, Captain McCleskey attacked a heavily defended truck convoy and destroyed it. Subsequently ground fire struck his aircraft, setting it afire. He nursed his burning A-26 toward home for 25 minutes, valiantly making every effort to save it. When continued flight became impossible, he flew it away from populated areas, and with total disregard for his own safety, pushed his trapped navigator from the doomed aircraft before he himself egressed from the disintegrating aircraft, which exploded seconds later. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Captain McCleskey has reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Air Force.