Page 8 - DFCS News Magazine Winter 2015

“...for heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight.”
The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presen ng the Dis nguished Flying Cross to Major Robert H. Haley for heroism while par-
cipa ng in aerial ight evidenced by voluntary ac ons above and beyond the call of duty in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date, 13 September 1968, Major Haley was serving as Commander of an Air Cavalry troop. When a helicopter, later determined to be that of the Division Command- er, crashed in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, he imme- diately led members of an aero ri e platoon in an Airborne rescue opera on. Major Haley was the rst to arrive over the crash scene, and he had his Pilot y at a low al tude so that he could best evaluate the situa on. Although his cra was subjected to hos le re, he con nued to search the dense jungle area un l he had select- ed a landing zone 100 meters from the downed helicopter. Major Haley directed that gunships engage the enemy posi ons adjacent to the pro- posed landing zone in order to suppress the con- nuing hail of insurgent re. He then instructed his Pilot to maneuver at a hazardously low level while he personally directed each of the aircra in the platoon into and out of the very con ned landing zone. Within 30 minutes a er receiving no ca on of the crash, Major Haley had his men moving toward the wreckage in an a empt to aid the crash vic ms. When it was reported that there were no survivors, he supervised the complete search of the area from his cra and then directed the expedi ous removal of the bodies from the helicopter. The competent leadership and professional demeanor displayed by Major Haley throughout the perilous rescue a empt were major factors insuring that the most extensive e orts were made to aid the vic- ms of the tragedy. Major Haley’s ac ons are in keeping with the nest tradi ons of the military service and re ect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry
Division, and the United States Army.
The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presen ng the Dis n- guished Flying Cross to Sta Sergeant Ber- tram H Perlmu er for extraordinary
achievement while par cipa ng in aerial ight while serving as Waist Gunner of a B-17 airplane on twenty - ve bombardment missions over enemy-occupied Con nental Europe. Displaying great courage and skill, Sergeant Perlmu er, gh ng from his gun posi- on, has warded o many enemy a acks and has materially aided in the success of each of the twenty - ve missions. The courage, coolness and skill dis- played by Sergeant Perl-
mu er on all these occa- sions re ect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.
The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presen ng the Dis n- guished Flying Cross to Pe y O cer Gary L. Strebe for extraordinary heroism while par-
cipa ng in aerial ight on the morning of 9 May 1991 while serving as Rescue Swimmer aboard Coast Guard HH-3F CGNR 1467, launched at midnight from Coast Guard Air Sta on Kodiak, Alaska, in response to a mayday call from the shing vessel Dora H, which was capsizing and sinking in heavy seas, 135 nau cal miles from Kodiak. Arriving on scene, Pe y O cer Strebe was lowered into 30 -to-40 swells of frigid 35-degree water. While he was being lowered, a swell fell away and the hoist cable became taut, tearing his mask and snorkel from his face. Despite 40-to-55 knot winds, rain, and snow showers, Pe y O cer Strebe ba led the seas con nuously for nearly an hour, towing four survivors from the ra 30 yards downwind of the hois ng area. Nearing exhaus on and concerned with the helicopters low fuel state, Pe y O cer Strebe clipped himself to the basket on the last hoist. Pe y O cer Strebe’s ac ons, skill, and valor were instru- mental in the rescue of four vic ms. His courage, judg- ment, and devo on to duty are most hear ly com- mended and are in keeping with the highest tradi ons of the United States Coast Guard.
Page 8