The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Commander Eugene V. Crangle, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as airborne strike coordinator during strikes against five North Vietnamese patrol boats at Loc Chao, North Vietnam, on 5 August 1964. Identifying the enemy patrol boats, he directed propeller aircraft to attack two of the targets while he led his jet aircraft in an attack on the other three boats. He scored rocket hits on one patrol boat. His strike element inflicted major damage on one patrol boat and one torpedo boat and heavily damaged another torpedo boat.