The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Russell Lawrence Reiserer (NSN: 0-112294), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron TWO (VF-2), attached to the U.S.S. HORNET (CV-12), in action on 19 October 1944, while deployed over the Mariana Islands. After having completed his assigned mission, with his ammunition partly exhausted, Lieutenant Reiserer noticed the approach of a group of more than fifty enemy planes to a nearby field, and with fantastic odds against him turned into them, shooting down five enemy dive bombers in quick succession, the last with a single gun, and thus contributed materially to insure the safety of the fleet from heavy air attack. His outstanding courage and determined skill were at all times inspiring and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.