The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant William H. Booth, Jr. (MCSN: 0-25593), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Combat Pilot attached to a Marine Dive Bombing Squadron in thirty extremely damaging attacks against enemy gun positions, airfields, supply and troops concentrations and other heavily defended installations in the Solomon Islands and Bismarck Archipelago. During an extremely damaging attack against concentrations of supplies just northeast of Tobera Airfield, First Lieutenant Booth dived his aircraft to a perilously low altitude so as to insure greater accuracy and scored a damaging hit on a heavy gun position, silencing it for the duration of the attack. On 20 September 1944 he extensively damaged the Salik River Bridge disrupting all road traffic along the northeast coast of New Ireland. On many other occasions he scored hits on enemy warehoused, large hideouts and concentrations of supplies and personnel on southern Bougainville, New Britain and New Ireland. His skill, daring and gallant courage contributed greatly to the damage which our air forces inflicted on the enemy and to our success in keeping Rabaul and Davieng completely and continuously neutralized. The superior dive bombing skill, expert airmanship and inspiring devotion to duty consistently displayed by First Lieutenant Booth were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.