The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Major Grover Rombeau Betzer (MCSN: 0-13728), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight against the enemy as a member of a carrier-based Marine Attack Squadron in Korea. On 24 February 1953, Major Betzer participated in the rescue of a downed Marine aviator who had crash-landed his stricken aircraft on the ice of a frozen reservoir deep in hostile territory, and was surrounded by enemy troops. With complete disregard for his own safety, Major Betzer conducted a series of daring minimum altitude strafing assaults, intentionally drawing the heavy hostile fire away from the downed pilot. Displaying superb airmanship, he skillfully maneuvered his aircraft at low level, through intense and accurate barrages of hostile fire, and succeeded on several occasions in completely suppressing all ground fire directed at the downed aviator. Ignoring the increasingly accurate fire that was bursting all around his aircraft, Major Betzer repeatedly strafed the enemy positions and when his guns ceased to function, he continued to press simulated strafing runs with such effectiveness that a helicopter was able to effect a successful rescue. Remaining at the scene, Major Betzer succeeded in sinking the downed aircraft into the reservoir with direct rocket hits, to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. His courageous conduct, superb airmanship and steadfast devotion to duty throughout reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.