The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade [then Ensign] Forrest Franklin Francis, Jr., 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 FIFTY (VF-50), attached to the U.S.S. BATAAN (CVL-29), in action against enemy Japanese forces in the vicinity of the Kazan islands, on 24 June 1944. Participating in a mission to intercept a numerically superior force of enemy bombers with covering fighter aircraft closing our Task Force, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Francis exploded an enemy fighter plane at close range and, with his vision almost completely obscured by oil on his windshield from the exploded plane, opened his cockpit cover and continued the fight at high altitude to shoot down one more enemy plane before being forced to return to base with a failing engine. By his skilled airmanship and determination, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Francis contributed materially to the success of the mission and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.