The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Matthew Joseph Connelly, III (NSN: 0-703508), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism on May 10 1972 as Pilot of a jet aircraft in Fighter Squadron NINETY-SIX (VF-96), embarked in U.S.S. CONSTELLATION (CVA-64), during a major air-wing strike against an enemy rail yard in North Vietnam. As the flight leader of a section of aircraft on target combat air patrol, Lieutenant Connelly sighted a formation of approximately sixteen enemy fighter aircraft threatening the retiring strike force. Despite the overwhelming enemy odds, he engaged the numerically superior aircraft, pressing home hard-fought attacks which resulted in the destruction of two enemy planes and the dispersion of the remaining aircraft out of range of the strike force. Lieutenant Connelly’s superb airmanship, courage and dedication reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.