The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander John James Laffan, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Gunnery Officer aboard the Light Cruiser U.S.S. BOISE (CL-47), during action against enemy Japanese naval forces off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of 11 – 12 October 1942. With his ship straddled by gunfire, her turrets aflame, and fragments of bursting shells cutting through the air, Lieutenant Commander Laffan, with courageous presence of mind and complete disregard for his own personal safety, controlled all batteries from the open control station and executed without delay all orders issued by the Commanding Officer. His unyielding devotion to duty, maintained at great personal risk in the face of graver peril, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.