The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Kenneth Stanley Katta, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a B-52D Navigator on a high priority mission directed against a transportation facility near Vinh, People’s Republic of North Vietnam, on 22 November 1972. Despite the presence of hostile MiG aircraft and numerous surface-to-air missile launches, Captain Katta exhibited outstanding professional skill in guiding his aircraft to strike a well-defended target. His superior performance in an extremely hostile environment in which the aircraft in front of his was shot down contributed significantly to the denial of badly needed supplies by hostile forces. The professional competence, aerial skill and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Katta reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.