The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Technical Sergeant Ralph Paul Ackerman (MCSN: 294851), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. On 23 January 1943, an enemy task force consisting of one destroyer and one cargo ship was discovered about fifteen miles northeast of Vella Lavella Island on a course of one hundred and twenty degrees. A striking force of twelve dive bombers, four torpedo planes, and sixteen fighter planes was ordered out to intercept and destroy the enemy. In the ensuing engagement Technical Sergeant Ackerman, as pilot of a dive bomber, was hit by anti-aircraft fire in making his approach but continuing with the attack dove in the face of accurate twenty millimeter fire making a successful release of his bomb which struck the cargo vessel. He was hit again immediately following his bomb release and apparently was killed at that time since he did not pull out of his dive. He is currently listed as Missing in Action.