The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Lavern M. Nelson, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Pilot of a Patrol Plane in the vicinity of New Britain on 23 October 1943. Lieutenant Nelson pressed home accurate attacks on a Japanese destroyer, probably sinking it. His attack was made in the face of relentless anti-aircraft fire from shore batteries and three enemy vessels.