The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Russell Stover Wilcox (NSN: 0-98756), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Bomber in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6). This squadron was assigned the mission of conducting air operations against the enemy installation on Luzon, Philippine Islands, while assigned to a Task Group operation under Commander, Second Carrier Task Force, Pacific Fleet. Lieutenant Wilcox was leading a section of bombers in an attack on Clark Field, Manila, Philippine Islands on 15 December 1944. In the face of intense anti-aircraft fire, he pressed home his attack, scoring direct hits on a small wooded area reported as concealing parked enemy aircraft. While withdrawing from the target area, his plane was hit by a 40-mm. shell which entered the pilot’s cockpit from below and exploded in the plane. He received a large wound in his upper right leg which bled profusely and, in the opinion of the Air Group Medical Officer, suffered severe internal injury. He was observed by two accompanying fighter pilots to leave our formation. Assuming him to be in trouble and heading to sea, they flew alongside. They could see him slump in his seat from time to time, when the plane would go temporarily out of control. After gaining some 8,000 feet of altitude and traveling approximately 70 miles Lieutenant Wilcox started a glide and ultimately made a water landing. During this time his aircrewman (Frierson, Walter Duncan, 5561270, ARM2c, V-6, USNR) was unable to communicate with the pilot and assumed the radio to be out of commission. It was not until Frierson had launched his raft and went to the forward cockpit that he realized the situation. He succeeded in getting the pilot into the raft and administered first aid. By this time the bleeding had stopped, however and Lieutenant Wilcox was breathing with difficulty. He asserted his desire to save Frierson’s life and then died, some 15 minutes before the arrival of a rescue plane which had been summoned by the fighter pilots.

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Russell Stover Wilcox (NSN: 0-98756), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during action against units of the Japanese Fleet in waters west of the Central Philippine Islands during the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 October 1944. Flying as wingman on a search and attack mission when an enemy task force was sighted and his division was assigned the Japanese battleship MUSASHI as a target, Lieutenant Wilcox defied the withering barrages of anti-aircraft fire to dive low over the hostile warship and release his bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. His superb airmanship, inspiring courage and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Wilcox and the United States Naval Service.