AWARDED DFC: 1
CONFLICT/SPACE FLIGHT/EVENT:  Vietnam
MODEL:  C-130B

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant Eric B. Richstein for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-130B Navigator at Quang Tri Airfield, Republic of Vietnam, on 26 April 1970. On that date, Lieutenant Richstein flew an extremely hazardous mission through adverse weather conditions and under constant threat of hostile ground fire to extract emergency evacuees from this forward base. With the ceiling at 500 feet and the visibility very poor, Lieutenant Richstein directed an airborne radar approach to the field carefully avoiding nearby artillery. The approach was directly to the centerline of the runway resulting in a successful landing and the pickup of wounded soldiers. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Lieutenant Richstein reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.