Allan R. Baer

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Allan R. Baer, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Forward Air Controller and Pilot of an O-2 airplane at Nha Trang Air Base, Vietnam, SEVENTH Air Force, in action in the Republic of Vietnam, from 30 January 1968 to 1 February 1968. During that period, Colonel Baer was virtually a one-man command post for the battle of Nha Trang, directing and conducting close air support missions night and day, resulting in the neutralization of over three hundred of the hostile attacking force. On no less than eleven separate occasions, Colonel Baer’s aerial skill and courage in the face of intense unfriendly ground fire were the decisive factors in the defeat of the hostile forces. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Lieutenant Colonel Baer reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.