The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade David Oliver Puckett, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Composite Squadron NINE (VC-9), attached to the U.S.S. BOGUE (CVE-9), in action against an enemy submarine in the Atlantic Ocean on 4 October 1943. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Puckett was flying to the support of another plane which had surprised, attacked, and was maintaining contact on a group of enemy submarines. Immediately on reaching the concentration of U-boats, he followed closely on the attack of a companion fighter by strafing the largest, most heavily armed submarine of the group. Opening fire at a range of fifteen hundred feet, in spite of the heavy barrage put up by his target, the crossfire from other U-boats, and damage incurred to his plane by several shrapnel bits, he persisted in his attack until he had materially reduced the volume of fire from his target. An attack on a second submarine was pressed home with equal determination, effectively silencing its anti-aircraft battery and enabling a bomber to attack unopposed. A total of three more attacks were made on the remaining submarines, one in the face of equally heavy anti-aircraft fire which had characterized the first attack, the remaining two unopposed. His outstanding courage and determined skill were at all times inspiring and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.