The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Second Lieutenant Thomas A. Gribbin (MCSN: 0-32741), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as a Pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR (VMF-224), Marine Air Group THIRTY-ONE (MAG-31), FOURTH Marine Aircraft Wing, in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima, on 4 May 1945. Fearlessly diving through an intense anti-aircraft barrage to attack an enemy plane attempting a suicide run on a friendly destroyer, Second Lieutenant Gribbin pressed home a vigorous attack on the hostile plane and, by his superb airmanship, destroyed it fifty feet from the ship and thereby saved the destroyer from probable destruction. His initiative, intrepid spirit and courageous devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.