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

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS posthumously to LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DAVID F. CALLAHAN, JR., UNITED STATES NAVY for heroism and extraordinary achievement on 18 September 1967 as a jet attack pilot serving with Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE, embarked in USS CORAL SEA (CVA-43), during combat operations in Southeast Asia. As a section leader, Lieutenant Commander Callahan participated in a highly successful attack by seven strike aircraft on targets in the city of Haiphong, North Vietnam. His assigned target was the Haiphong Highway Bridge which served as a major artery of transportation between the port facilities of Haiphong and Hanoi, and was located in one of the most heavily defended areas of North Vietnam. Demonstrating exceptional skill, Lieutenant Commander Callahan led his section of aircraft through an extremely hostile antiaircraft-artillery environment which included automatic weapons and airborne surface-to-air missiles. He successfully maneuvered to evade all enemy opposition and executed an attack from a highly-vulnerable attack position, resulting in the total destruction of the western span of the bridge. Lieutenant Commander Callahan's aggressive leadership, personal courage, and heroic dedication to duty in the face of fierce enemy opposition were significant factors in the overall success of the mission, and contributed greatly toward the accomplishment of United States objectives in Southeast Asia. By his out­standing performance, he upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.