The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Gary Douglas Hopps (NSN: 0-655602), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Pilot in Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE (VA-145), embarked in U.S.S. RANGER (CVA-61), during a reprisal attack against a vital North Vietnamese communications link consisting of a highway bridge and an overpass over a road junction, on 10 February 1966. As a member of a three-plane flight, Lieutenant Hopps carried out bold and aggressive attacks in the face of intense enemy anti-aircraft fire, scoring direct hits on the bridge with his two 500-pound bombs and direct hits on the overpass and road junction with the remainder of his bombs. Lieutenant Hopps’ aircraft was last seen enveloped in enemy anti-aircraft fire, after which it crashed and disintegrated on impact in the immediate vicinity of the target area. Through his determined and heroic efforts, he contributed materially to the effort of the United States in the Vietnam conflict at the cost of his life.