The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Francis X. Timmes, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight during the period 2 February 1943 to 6 March 1943. As a Fighter Pilot attached to a Marine Aircraft Group in the Solomon Islands, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Timmes covered our bombers in eleven attacks against Munda Point and Vila Plantation ground installations, and participated in three other attacks on large task forces of enemy destroyers. During one of these engagements with 20 to 30 Japanese fighters, he destroyed two Zeroes and refused to withdraw from the conflict until ordered to do so by his squadron leader.