The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant Charles J. Aldrich (MCSN: 0-26822), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an Air Observer for a Marine Artillery Regiment on Okinawa Shima, Ryukyu Islands, from 1 April to 21 June 1945. First Lieutenant Aldrich made fifty-one flights over the enemy lines totaling one hundred and twenty-one hours. In order to effectively search enemy targets and maintain observation despite low ceiling flight conditions, on a number of occasions he flew at altitudes of less than five hundred feet in an unarmored plane. Seldom flying above two thousand feet, he performed his missions while within the trajectory of friendly artillery fire and while subjected to repeated enemy small arms and anti-aircraft fire. Constantly searching for enemy targets, and making precision artillery adjustments thereon, he was credited with destroying numerous enemy personnel and quantities of enemy material. His actions throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.