Wallace Morris Beakley

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Wallace Morris Beakley, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Combat Plane and Commanding Officer of an Air Group, embarked from the U.S.S. WASP (CV-7), in action on 7 August 1942, while deployed over Tulagi, in the Florida Island Group of the Solomon Islands. Lieutenant Commander Beakley’s outstanding courage, daring airmanship and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.