The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant John Thomas Burton (NSN: 0-106470), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in the line of his profession as the Commander of a U.S. Navy Bombing Plane on 28 September 1944, when an enemy submarine was attacked. While on an anti-submarine sweep, he sighted an enemy submarine and went into action immediately. With extraordinary airmanship he pressed home the attack in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire. The first attack was extremely accurate, resulting in a perfect straddle and damaging of the submarine to such an extent that it was not able to submerge. He then made four strafing runs on the submarine while awaiting the arrival of other planes, which ultimately sank the submarine. The action described above in which the enemy submarine was destroyed reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.