The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain William August Cantrel (MCSN: 0-12602), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Division Leader and Pilot of a Fighter Plane in Marine Fighting Squadron ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE (VMF-123), embarked from the U.S.S. BENNINGTON (CV-20), in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces in the vicinity of the Kure Naval Base, Honshu, Japan, on 19 March 1945. While leading his Division in a strike against numerically superior enemy aircraft, Captain Cantrel personally destroyed two and damaged two of a total score of nine Japanese planes destroyed and five damaged, thereby contributing materially to the prevention of a possible attack on our planes then approaching for a strike against units of the Japanese Fleet. Although severely wounded during the engagement and with his plane badly damaged he assumed command of the entire formation when his flight leader’s plane was damaged and, by his skill and determination, returned it to base without further loss. His inspiring leadership and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.