AWARDED DFC: 4
CONFLICT/SPACE FLIGHT/EVENT:  Vietnam
MODEL:  OV-10

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Thomas R. Yarborough for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Forward Air Controller in Southeast Asia on 23 July 1970. On that date, Captain Yarborough was instrumental in preventing a long range reconnaissance team from being overrun by hostile forces and in rescuing the crew of a downed helicopter supporting the operation. Despite intense and highly accurate ground fire and extremely marginal weather conditions, he directed suppressive fire which thwarted attempts to overrun the friendly team, and later he successfully attacked hostile gun positions, enabling another helicopter to rescue the two downed aircrew members. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Yarborough reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

2.) The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (First Oak Leaf Cluster) to Captain Thomas R. Yarborough for heroism while participating in aerial flight as a Special Operation Forward Air Controller in Southeast Asia on 14 February 1971. On that date, Captain Yarborough was instrumental in saving the lives of a long range reconnaissance team which had been inserted near one of the most heavily defended infiltration routes in South east Asia. In spite of intense antiaircraft and small arms fire, Captain Yarborough, at great personal risk, flew his lightly armed reconnaissance aircraft at low level and successfully attacked and inflicted heavy casualties on a large force of hostile troops, thereby thwarting their attempts to annihilate or capture a besieged long range reconnaissance team. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Captain Yarborough reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

3.) The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Second Oak Leaf Cluster) to Captain Thomas R. Yarborough for heroism while participating in aerial flight as a Special Operation Forward Air Controller in Southeast Asia on 10 August 1970. On that date, Captain Yarborough directed helicopter gunships and tactical fighters in close air support of a small friendly ground force. His determined efforts under intense ground fire, deteriorating weather and darkness were the deciding factor in preventing the annihilation or capture of this force by a numerically superior hostile force. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Captain Yarborough reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

4.) The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Third Oak Leaf Cluster) to Captain Thomas R. Yarborough for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Forward Air Controller in Southeast Asia on 10 April 1973. On that date, while flying a mission in his lightly armed CV-10 aircraft, Captain Yarborough received an urgent call for assistance from a friendly ground commander whose position was surrounded and in grave danger of being overrun by a numerically superior hostile force. Despite poor visibility and exceptionally intense antiaircraft fire which had damaged the nose of his aircraft, Captain Yarborough, at great personal risk, directed multiple sets of tactical jet fighters against the hostile positions as close as two-hundred meters from the friendly location with such precision that numerous hostile firing positions and bunkers were destroyed, causing the hostile forces to retreat from the area, thus assuring friendly victory The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Yarborough reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.