The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant James A. Smith, III (NSN: 0-85919), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a division leader of Fighting Squadron TWENTY-THREE (VF-23) and while flying high cover for our torpedo bombers in an attack on Japanese cruisers and destroyers at Rabaul, on 5 November 1943. Lieutenant Smith employed excellent tactics and maintained a strong defensive formation throughout the flight. Intercepted by eight Japanese planes during the retirement, he fought his plane courageously and assisted in the destruction of the ten planes shot down by his squadron.