Navy Federal Credit Union

Awards Received

  • Distinguished Flying Cross

    Service:

    United States Navy

    Rank:

    Ensign

    Action Date:

    World War II

    Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 330 (September 1944)

    The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Ensign Lewis A. Matthews, Jr. (NSN: 0-157756), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight acting as wingman while escorting our bombers in a strike against installations and shipping at Truk Atoll. Ensign Matthews countered an attack by numerous enemy fighters and accounted for two of the 10 Japanese planes destroyed by his four-plane division. In another mission the same day he strafed a light cruiser in Truk Harbor, silencing here anti-aircraft fire.