Boyd N. Mayhew

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Boyd N. Mayhew, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier- based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron FORTY-ONE (VF-41), attached to the U.S.S. RANGER (CV-4), during the occupation of French Morocco, from 8 to 11 November 1942. Attacked by sixteen hostile fighters while raiding the Gazes airdrome, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Mayhew and his flight of eighteen planes shot nine of the interceptors out of the sky and destroyed fourteen aircraft on the ground. In addition to subsequent strafing raids which silenced enemy shore batteries near Port Lyautey and El Hank, he fought his way through a bursting hail of anti-aircraft fire to bombard two surface submarines and a light cruiser off Casablanca.