The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade LeRoy C. Deede, United States Navy, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while commanding a PBY type airplane in Patrol Squadron ONE HUNDRED ONE (VP-101), Patrol Wing TEN (Patwing-10), while delivering a bombing attack on a Japanese naval force located near Jolo Harbor, Sulu, Philippine Islands, on the morning of 27 December 1941. While under continuous anti-aircraft fire which crippled his plane, and opposed by enemy fighters, he successfully evaded the enemy and landed his plane at sea from which he and the members of his crew were rescued by another PBY type airplane. Further, he successfully shot down an enemy fighter which attacked him.