The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Carl Burkhardt, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. On the night of 8 March 1944, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Burkhardt, as Patrol Plane Commander of Plane No. 12-59 of Patrol Squadron TWELVE (VP-12) was conducting an anti-submarine patrol to the eastward of Bougainville. At about 2230 a radio report from Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Burkhardt’s plane stated that he had made contact with an enemy submarine and was attacking. In the next radio report Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Burkhardt reported the attack completed and was then in the process of tracing a moving oil slick. Later the contact was lost and the plane continued search despite increasingly bad weather. After 0100 no further radio communication came from the airplane. After the time of fuel on board had elapsed an intensive search for the missing plane was instigated to no avail. Several days later a Coast Watcher on Choiseul reported that natives had found the crashed airplane on the side of a hill and had buried the nine members of the crew. Sufficient evidence to establish the identify of the plane and crew was returned from Choiseul.