The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Gerald F. Boyle (NSN: 0-125793), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. On the afternoon of 30 June 1943, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Boyle of Fighting Squadron TWENTY-ONE (VF-21), was a member of a four plane division of F-4F’s sent to Rendova Island to intercept an enemy attack on our shipping. While flying at seven thousand feet, his division sighted enemy bombers and immediately dove in the attack. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Boyle got an enemy bomber in his sights, and with one burst of fire at extremely close range, sent the aircraft down in flames. Pulling up from this attack, he got a full deflection shot at a Zero which burst into flames directly behind the cockpit and crashed. Still another Zero was shot down by Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Boyle when the enemy fighter was blasted to bits off the tail of another F-4F. From 21 June 1943 through 17 July 1943, he has been on twenty-two combat missions for a total of eighty-five hours.