The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Richard E. O’Connell (NSN: 0-112093), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as section leader flying low cover for our torpedo bombers in a strike at a large concentration of Japanese warships at Rabaul on 5 November 1943. Lieutenant O’Connell repelled enemy fighters encountered en route and provided complete protection for our planes to the final break-off point. He assisted in the destruction of 10 enemy planes shot down by his squadron.