The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Arthur N. Avery (NSN: 0-263683), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Pilot of an Attack Bomber in Attack Squadron NINE HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE (VA-923), attached to Carrier Air Group 102 aboard the U.S.S. BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31), in attacks on North Korean and Chinese Communist forces. On 25 September 1951, Lieutenant Avery, as the leader of a flight of six Skyraiders in company with four Corsairs, was assigned the important mission of destroying a heavily defended railroad bridge, located near Haechon-ni, deep in Communist-held hostile North Korean territory. While proceeding to their target, this flight was diverted to an enemy troop staging area at Osan-ni, where approximately one thousand armed troops were housed in the village. Brilliantly initiating and directing the Skyraider attacks, Lieutenant Avery led his flight in a series of devastating and aggressive bombing runs, and despite the intense and accurate small arms fire scored direct hits with two one thousand pound general purpose bombs; accounting for five buildings destroyed and aiding the flight to completely obliterate the entire village, killing uncounted numbers of enemy troops. Then proceeding to their primary target, he successfully led his flight in repeated bombing and strafing attacks in the face of withering anti-aircraft fire, and his two direct hits with general purpose bombs and accurate strafing with his twenty millimeter cannon, materially assisted in completely destroying this important railroad bridge, and helped account for twelve boxcars destroyed and fourteen damaged in Haechon-ni’s railroad yards. At Changhung-ni, he further directed ruinous attacks on another railroad bridge, and his extremely accurate drop of a thousand pound delayed-action “seed” bomb, after the bridge had been severely damaged, remained in perfect position beneath the twisted wreckage. Lieutenant Avery’s fierce determination, highly commendable perseverance and exceptionally gallant devotion to duty were at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.