The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting a Second Gold Star in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Frank Melvin Whitaker (NSN: 0-73547), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Commanding Officer of Torpedo Squadron SEVENTEEN (VT-17) in the Marshall Islands area from 29 January to 2 February 1944. Lieutenant Commander Whitaker led his squadron on two pre-dawn glide bombing attacks, without fighter escort, against enemy air installations at Kwajalein and Engebi. Despite devastating anti-aircraft fire, his squadron so damaged the airfields that they were useless to the enemy. On a second assault the same day he attacked and sank a merchant vessel.

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Frank Melvin Whitaker (NSN: 0-73547), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while leading his torpedo squadron in a daring attack on Japanese forces at Rabaul, on 11 November 1943. Lieutenant Commander Whitaker aided in the sinking of a destroyer and a cruiser, the probable destruction of another cruiser, and the severe damaging of two other combatant vessels.