The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant John F. Begert (MCSN: 0-11941), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Division leader for Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED FOURTEEN (VMF-214), performing his duty with outstanding leadership and superior airmanship. During the period 12 September to 22 October 1943, he flew on 46 missions in the Central Solomons Area for a total of 98.2 hours, participating in strike escorts, task force cover fighter sweeps, strafing missions, and patrols. On 12 September he engaged a numerically superior formation of enemy fighters. In the ensuing action, Lieutenant Begert, with expert airmanship and superior courage shot down two Zeros. On 21 September 1943, he led his division in an attack on two barges on North Choiseul. In the ensuing action, both barges were destroyed. On 29 September 1943, he again led his division in a successful attack on two barges on Tombulu Point, Northwest Kolombangara, destroying both of them. He has flown a total of 94.9 combat hours in two previous trips in the combat area, during the periods April, June, and July 1943 at Guadalcanal, for a grand total of 193.1 combat hours, destroying one Zero on a previous trip. In all his missions, Lieutenant Begert has displayed outstanding leadership, superb airmanship, loyal devotion to duty, and conspicuous courage.