The President of   the  United  States  takes  pleasure  in  presenting  the DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS to

for service as set forth in the following

                 CITATION:

                               "For heroism and extraordinary achievement  in aerial flight while  serving  as Commanding Officer of  Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364,  Marine Aircraft Group  Sixteen,  First Marine Aircraft Wing in  connection with combat operations against  the enemy in  the Republic of  Vietnam.  On the afternoon of 31 August 1969, Lieutenant Colonel Dunbaugh launched as Section Leader of a flight of two  CH-46  transport  helicopters  assigned the  mission  of extracting two Marine  reconnaissance teams  that were heavily engaged  in com- bat  with numerically  superior  North Vietnamese Army  forces  in  the Que Son Mountains south of An Hoa.   Arriving  over the first of the beleaguered patrols, he found that  the Marines were located on  the floor of a valley and were receiv- ing  fire from  all sides.  Following  air strikes by  fixed-wing aircraft, Lieutenant Colonel  Dunbaugh,  undaunted by  the extremely  heavy volume of  small  arms and automatic weapons fire directed at his helicopter from  the enemy  positions on  the surrounding hills, skillfully maneuvered  his CH-46 to a landing near the embattled  patrol.  Ignoring  the intense North Vietnamese  fire,  he fearlessly re- mained in his  dangerously exposed  position until  all the Marines  had  climbed aboard  and  then  departed  the  dangerous  area for the An Hoa Combat Base.  Returning to  the mountainous area, he located  the second reconnaissance team in  a  stream  bed  below  a  100  foot jungle canopy  and was  informed  that the patrol had  captured a  North Vietnamese Army soldier.   While supporting gun- ships  provided  cover,  Lieutenant Colonel Dunbaugh found  an opening in  the canopy, lowered his extraction  cable, and then  skillfully  maneuvered  his  heli- copter straight down until  the rotor blades were inches  from the tree tops.  The Marines  immediately attached  themselves and  their prisoner to  the cable  and signaled that they were ready for  the extraction.  Expertly lifting  the team from the  jungle,  Lieutenant Colonel Dunbaugh proceeded to  An Hoa  with the  nine men  suspended on  the cable 120 feet  below his aircraft and landed safely at the combat  base.   Lieutenant Colonel Dunbaugh's  courage,  superior  airmanship, and  unwavering  devotion  to  duty  in  the  face of great  personal  danger were instrumental  in  saving  the lives of several of  his  fellow  Marines  and  were  in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service."