The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat “V” to Lieutenant Commander Harold F. Bishop, III, United States Navy, for heroism while participating in aerial flight as the Bombardier/Navigator of an A-6E Intruder aircraft in Attack Squadron One Hundred Forty-Five (VA-145, embarked in U.S.S. Ranger (CV-61), on 17 January 1991. Lieutenant Commander Bishop launched as a part of a crucial night strike against the key naval port facility of Umm Qasr, Iraq, in the first naval air action of the campaign. Through stiff enemy defenses and poor weather, he pressed in to his target at night and at a low altitude to optimize the effectiveness of his weapon deliver. Despite the low-lying fog that precluded the use of his Forward Looking Infrared equipment and anti-aircraft fire that necessitated aggressive maneuvering of the aircraft, Lieutenant Commander Bishop skillfully delivered his weapons directly on the berthing area for missile patrol boats and support buildings at that port, causing secondary explosions and fires throughout the naval facility. His actions in this initial strike to free the citizens of Kuwait dealt a devastating blow to the enemy’s capability to conduct anti-surface warfare against coalition forces. Lieutenant Commander Bishop’s aggressive leadership, tactical airmanship, and courageous devotion to duty in the face of hazardous fling conditions reflect great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. [The Combat Distinguishing Device is authorized.]