The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Hoyt D. Mann, United States Navy, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as Flight Officer and Pilot of a plane of a Scouting Squadron in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea, on 7 and 8 May 1942. Due to his courageous, skillful and persistent reconnaissance flights, Lieutenant Mann contributed materially to the successful tracing of enemy Japanese units and the maintenance of effective combat patrols by our forces in the face of heavy enemy opposition.