The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Sumner E. Atherton, Jr. (NSN: 0-81600), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement in the line of his profession while participating in aerial flight on 3 April 1942, as Commander of a Patrol Plane. While operating from Naval Air Station, Palmyra, upon learning of a contact report of a wrecked U.S. Army plane at sea, he immediately volunteered to attempt the rescue of a lone survivor in a life raft. Authority being granted, he proceeded 180 miles to southwest of Palmyra, under conditions of extreme low visibility and located the raft; landing under hazardous conditions of wing and sea was made and the survivor picked up. The take-off was then safely accomplished and he returned to base. Ins o doing he displayed excellent judgment, skill and courage of a high order, and thereby saved the life of an officer of the U.S. Army Air Corps.