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 Thomas R. Yarborough, United States Air Force, for gallantry while engaged in aerial flight as a special operations Forward Air Controller in Southeast Asia on 20 February 1971. On that date, Captain Yarborough was instrumental in saving the lives of a long range reconnaissance team which had been inserted in to one of the most heavily defended sections of the A Shau Valley. Although wounded by intense and highly accurate ground fire, Captain Yarborough, flying a lightly armed OV-10 aircraft, refused to leave the scene and personally attacked advancing hostile troops with his aircraft’s machine guns and rockets, inflicting heavy casualties and thwarting their attempt to annihilate or capture the friendly forces. During the ensuing helicopter emergency team extraction, one team member was inadvertently left behind. Although out of ammunition, dangerously low on fuel, and bleeding profusely from numerous shrapnel wounds, Captain Yarborough, in complete disregard for his own safety, led his airborne package back to the landing zone. He then covered their approach by executing multiple treetop-level passes, drawing all ground fire toward his own aircraft while simultaneously silencing two heavy machine guns by dropping his empty rocket pods and external fuel tank on the hostile positions, thus enabling his vulnerable helicopter force to rescue the stranded team member. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Captain Yarborough has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.