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 Warrant Officer One (WO-1) Paul D. Madsen, United States Army, for gallantry in actions while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 18 June 1969 while serving as a pilot with the Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date an estimated battalion of North Vietnamese soldiers attacked An Loc with intense rocket fire and followed with a ground attack. Warrant Officer Madsen was flying the troop’s command-and-control aircraft which responded to the radio report of the attack. As he was flying over the contact zone, he spotted nine North Vietnamese soldiers below. As he flew the ship over the area again, he slowed the airspeed and maneuvered at treetop level. Suddenly they received intense barrages of automatic weapons fire from below. Disregarding the enemy fire, Warrant Officer Madsen maneuvered the aircraft over the enemy so that smoke grenades could be accurately dropped for marking the enemy positions. Seconds later the ship was enveloped by a fusillade of enemy fire from all directions that killed the crew chief and door gunner. Several rounds tore through the cockpit, shattering the windshield and seriously wounding Warrant Officer Madsen in the legs. Momentarily he lost control of the aircraft, but courageously he overcame the flying debris, smoke and extreme pain in his legs and partially regained control of the ship before it crashed. Warrant Officer placed effective fire on the enemy with his weapon while the commander attempted to pull the two bodies out of the wreckage. He maintained his position despite the painful leg wounds and continued to exchange fire with the enemy. Warrant Officer Madsen’s outstanding courage was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.