The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Roland Russell Batson, Jr. (NSN: 0-122817), United States Navy, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in a strike against an enemy North Korean supply route. On 11 November 1950, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Batson, as leader of two divisions of Skyraider dive bombers, in an attack on a railway bridge over the Tongno River, suffered engine failure in his dive, due to enemy anti-aircraft fire. Despite his engine failure, and in the face of continued accurate fire, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Batson displayed superb qualities of leadership and cool judgment in extreme emergency and continued his dive, pinpointing his bombs on the bridge. Thus through his courage and zealous devotion to duty, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Batson, with utter disregard for his own personal safety, set an example for the remainder of his flight to follow, contributing materially to the destruction of this main enemy supply route before he abandoned the attack and executed a skillful wheels-up landing in a nearby rice field. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Batson’s actions throughout reflect highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.