The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Commander William L. Erdmann, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Commander of a Patrol Plane Squadron during World War II. By his leadership, persistence, high professional attainments, and fighting spirit, he so trained, disposed and operated his squadron that the menace of enemy submarines was minimized in his patrol area.