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.
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Awards Received
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Silver Star
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Defense Superior Service Medal
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States NavyRank:
Lieutenant, Junior GradeBatallion:
Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3Action Date:
February 7, 1970
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.
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Silver Star
Service:
United States NavyRank:
Lieutenant, Junior GradeBatallion:
Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3Action Date:
January 3, 1970
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Michael James Farlow, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Attack Helicopter Aircraft Commander of the wing aircraft of a UH-1E attack helicopter fire team attached to and serving with Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron THREE, Detachment FIVE. In the early morning hours of 3 January 1970, the fire team was scrambled to assist a number of river patrol boats and a command center outpost under heavy rocket, mortar and automatic weapons attack from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Communist insurgent forces who were attempting to infiltrate from Cambodia across the Vinh Te Canal into Chau Doc Province, Republic of Vietnam. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow brought his ordnance to bear with devastating accuracy against the enemy positions in spite of the searing intensity of small arms and automatic weapons fire from the ground. With most of his ordnance expended, he provided overhead cover for his fire team leader who descended to extract several seriously wounded personnel from the boats. The situation became confusing when effective communications were lost due to a direct mortar hit on one of the boats. In spite of the extreme darkness and nearly total confusion, he provided effective cover and coordination fore his fire team leader and descended to evacuate the remaining critically wounded personnel without the protection of overhead cover. Realizing that the boats were in need of help he landed on the severely restricted strip of canal bank in spite of the impenetrable darkness and the threat of renewed attack by the enemy. He hovered at a dangerously low altitude and airspeed along the canal until the boat was located, successfully landed his aircraft, embarked the remaining critically wounded personnel, and jettisoned several thousand rounds of machine gun ammunition in order to ensure a safe departure, skillfully executed a difficult instrument takeoff and successfully returned his passengers to the YRBM 20 where they received medical attention. His heroic actions during the evacuation saved the lives of the crews of the river patrol boats who were under vicious assault from an enemy force. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Farlow’s courage under fire and loyal devotion to duty in the face of grave personal risk were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
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Defense Superior Service Medal
Under the provisions of Department of Defense 1348.33-M, the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Defense Superior Service Medal to Commander Michael James Farlow, United States Navy, for exceptionally superior service as Senior Policy Officer for National Security Affairs, and Senior Military Advisor, United States Information Agency (USIA), Washington, D.C., from July 1985 to June 1988. While at USIA, Commander Farlow represented that agency by making key and valuable contributions in meetings with other agencies at the highest levels of the United States Government on subjects covering psychological operations, anti-terrorist plans and conflicts. This resulted in the first national policy dealing with low intensity conflict, a policy signed into law by the President in June 1987. He was instrumental in linking the Department of Defense and USIA in the contingency planning process for the first time. He was a key actor between United States Information Service Bahrain, United States SIXTH Fleet Public Affairs, and the press during the crisis with the U.S.S. STRK. He was a consultant and clearing authority for Voice of America editorials on military matters involving United States operations against Libya and in the Black Sea. He developed a number of guidances for use by American Embassies abroad covering arms control, arms sales, and the United States policy of neither confirming nor denying existence of nuclear weapons aboard United States ships. The distinctive accomplishments of Commander Farlow culminate a distinguished career in the service of his country and reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Navy, and the Department of Defense.