The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Lawrence William Bunce, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flights. On the nights of 10 March 1944 and 15 March 1944, while serving as patrol plane commander in a Catalina aircraft off the south coast of New Britain and off the north coast of New Guinea, despite intense barrages of enemy anti-aircraft fire that damaged his plane and severely wounded his radioman, and in the presence of enemy night fighters, he strafed and destroyed eight enemy barges and a motor vessel, and heavily damaged an enemy P.T. boat; he attacked and probably destroyed a large enemy merchant vessel in an eight-ship convoy, scoring a direct hit by masthead-bombing. His actions on these occasions showed outstanding courage, professional skill, and aggressiveness, and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.