The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Silver Star in lieu of a Sixth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Commander Robert Wadsworth Peacher (NSN: 0-613863/1100), United States Navy, for heroism while participating in aerial flight as a pilot of jet aircraft attached to Attack Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWELVE (VA-212), embarked in U.S.S. HANCOCK (CVA-19). On the afternoon of 11 July 1972, Commander Peacher was assigned as division leader on a major air wing strike against vital petroleum storage and transportation facilities in North Vietnam. Assigned one of the three targets in the complex, a pipeline crossing on a major river, Commander found his navigation hampered by a persistent cloud cover and intense electronic activity preceding the launch of numerous surface-to-air missiles. Despite the strenuous evasive maneuvers required to evade these missiles, and the extremely heavy anti-aircraft fire from the target area, Commander Peacher, in a precision attack, placed all his ordnance on target severing the pipeline and causing two large secondary explosions. Commander Peacher’s accuracy and courage reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.



