 |
Presidential Unit Citation
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the
UNITED STATES SHIP NATOMA BAY
And her attached Air Squadrons participating in the following operations:
VC-63, Marshall Islands Operation, 29 Jan. - 8 Mar. 1944;
VC-63, W. New Guinea Operation, 22 Apr. - 5 May 1944;
VC-81, Leyte Operation, 17 - 30 Oct. 1944;
VC-81, Luzon Operation, 13 - 17 Dec. 1944, 4 - 18 Jan. 1945;
VC-81, Iwo Jima Operation, 16 Feb. - 8 Mar. 1945;
VC-9, Okinawa Gunto Operation, 25 Mar. - 24 Jun. 1945,
For service as set forth in the following
CITATION
"For extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the air, ashore and afloat.
Striking aggressively at her targets in the face of frequent and sustained hostile air attacks, the
U.S.S. NATOMA BAY caused extremely heavy losses to the enemy in warships, aircraft, merchant shipping
and shore installations destroyed or severely damaged. As Flagship of Task Unit 77.4.2 in the historic
Battle for Leyte Gulf, the NATOMA BAY fought her guns gallantly against enemy dive bomber and suicide
planes, at the same time, sending out her own aircraft to strafe and bomb Japanese Fleet units. During
the Mindoro assault, she aided in covering the invasion successfully despite active hostile airfields
surrounding the Sulu Sea. Although crashed by a Japanese Kamikaze while participating in a heavy assault
on Miayko Jima on June 7, she sent out 55 sorties from her damaged flight deck. Her illustrious record
of achievement, made possible by her own combat readiness and the courageous fighting spirit of her
officers and men, reflects the highest credit upon the NATOMA BAY and the United States Naval Service."
| |
For the President,
John L. Sullivan
Secretary of the Navy
|
|
