The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander [then Lieutenant] Harry Richmond McRae, Jr., United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber and as Division Leader of Four Planes in Bombing Squadron EIGHTY-TWO (VB-82), attached to the U.S.S. BENNINGTON (CV-20), in action against units of the enemy Japanese Fleet in the vicinity of the Naval Base at Kure, Japan, on 19 March 1945. Maneuvering his division in a closely coordinated dive-bombing attack on a new enemy battleship, Lieutenant Commander McRae dived through an intense barrage of anti-aircraft fire from the target, its nine screening destroyers and cruisers and surrounding shore batteries and, by his skill and determination, contributed materially to the damage inflicted on the battleship by repeated hits and near misses. His leadership, courage and devotion to the fulfillment of a hazardous mission were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.