The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Michael James Farlow, United States Navy, for heroism while participating in aerial flight as Fire Team Leader of a light helicopter fire team attached to Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron THREE, which was scrambled in the early morning hours of 7 February 1970 to assist river patrol boats of River Division FIVE ONE FIVE who were in heavy contact with a large Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army force on the Vinh Te Canal in Chau Doc Province, Republic of Vietnam. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow directed multiple rocket and machine gun strikes against approximately two hundred enemy pinned down in a field on the north bank of the canal while utilizing his own rocket fire aggressively and accurately. He twice rearmed and refueled at a nearby outpost. After lifting from the outpost after the second rearming, the enemy trapped on the south bank between the boats and a Special Forces Mobile Strike Force blocking unit initiated a desperate assault which inflicted several severe casualties upon the Strike Force. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow directed the fire team to jettison its rockets over a clear area of the north bank to lighten the heavy helicopters and to make them effective vehicles for MEDEVAC. He landed by the light of numerous pop flares provided by the boats. While loading the wounded aboard, his aircraft received a burst of enemy machine gun fire. He remained calm, directed a crewman to remain in order to prevent critically overloading one of the aircraft, launched from the area to provide cover fire for his trail ship as it landed and MEDEVACED, and then led the fire team to where adequate treatment was available for the wounded. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow’s actions and decisions were directly responsible for saving numerous United States and Vietnamese allied lives and for inflicting heavy damage upon the enemy. His courage under fire, professional skill and selfless devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Michael James Farlow, United States Navy, for heroic achievement in aerial flight while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong Communist aggressors in the Republic of Vietnam on 5 October 1969. As an Aircraft Commander of a UH-1B gun ship, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow’s unit was scrambled during the early evening hours to assist a group of five river patrol boats heavily engaged by a North Vietnamese/Viet Cong force on the Vinh Te Canal. In the face of intense fire from the ground, Lieutenant, Junior Grade Farlow took his aircraft to a low altitude at great risk to himself to ensure accuracy on the enemy positions which were only a few yards from the beleaguered patrol boats. He repeatedly attacked the enemy in order to relieve the pressure on his comrades on the ground. His superb airmanship and ability to deviate successfully from standard weapons delivery directly contributed to the destruction of the enemy force. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow’s devotion to duty, courage and exemplary professionalism were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.