AWARDED DFC: 3
CONFLICT/SPACE FLIGHT/EVENT:  -
MODEL:  -

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Donald W. Shepperd for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-100 Forward Air Controller operating over North Vietnam on 29 January 1968. On that date, Captain Shepperd while operating in a heavily defended area of North Vietnam, successfully located a large truck convoy and a major petroleum, oil, and lubricants supply and transshipment area. Ignoring heavy hostile fire and keeping the convoy stationary by daring, multiple, low level strafing passes, Captain Shepperd called for strike fighters. When the fighters arrived, he accurately marked the targets and directed multiple flights into the area dealing the hostile forces a severe blow in their resupply efforts. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Shepperd reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

2.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (First Oak Leaf Cluster) to Captain Donald W. Shepperd for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-100 Forward Air Controller operating over North Vietnam on 27 February 1968. On that date, Captain Shepperd searched an extremely heavily defended area of North Vietnam for camouflaged vehicles and supplies. He located twenty vehicles and directed multiple fighter strikes into the area. Having expended his marking ordnance, he continued to mark targets with strafing passes. After expending his ammunition, he marked targets by making low level passes over the camouflaged vehicles. His aggressiveness and courage under hostile fire dealt a severe blow to hostile resupply efforts. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Shepperd reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

3.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Second Oak Leaf Cluster) to Captain Donald W. Shepperd for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-100 Forward Air Controller operating over North Vietnam on 20 March 1968. On that date, Captain Shepperd located, halted, and directed fighters against one of the most lucrative vehicle convoys ever sighted in North Vietnam. He stopped the movement of numerous vehicles with strafing passes. After he had expended all of his ammunition, he continued to thwart attempts by hostile forces to move the vehicles by making low level passes over the convoy, through intense hostile groundfire, until ordnance laden fighters arrived. His professional direction of the flights dealt the hostile forces a severe blow in their resupply efforts and trapped numerous vehicles for attacks by later flights. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Shepperd reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.