The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Roy E. Reed, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving with Fighting Squadron TWENTY-SIX (VF-26) in the Solomon Islands from 1 to 21 July 1943. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Reed led a division of Wildcat fighters in the interception of a Japanese air raid and shot down one Zero. In a subsequent patrol over Rendova his division repelled 15 Japanese bombers and he shot down another Zero. Later his division struck an outnumbering force of aircraft and destroyed three more Zeros.