The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant Hoyt W. Young, United States Marine Corps, for heroic and meritorious achievement in a aerial reconnaissance flight while serving with Composite Reconnaissance Squadron One Det ALPHA embarked in U.S.S. ORISKANY on 17 October 1965. On completion of an attack of a highly defended bridge in the city of Thai Nguyen, North Vietnam, he proceeded over the target in the face of heavy enemy anti-aircraft fire to procure bomb damage assessment photography of the objective area. Hit by anti-aircraft fire, he successfully covered his primary target, then proceeded to and photographed a second heavily defended target while under fire, before retiring from the area. By his courage and determined effort in the face of enemy opposition, Lieutenant Young upheld the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.