Render Crayton

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star Medal to Render Crayton (529039/1315), Commander, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam during March 1966. Commander Crayton’s captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion, Commander Crayton reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting a Second Gold Star in lieu of a Third Award of the Silver Star Medal to Render Crayton (529039/1315), Commander, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam during the period August 1966 to September 1966. Commander Crayton’s captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion, Commander Crayton reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Render Crayton (529039/1315), Commander [then Lieutenant Commander], U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 7 February 1966, while serving as a flight leader with Attack Squadron FIFTY-SIX (VF-56), embarked in the U.S.S. TICONDEROGA (CVA-14), during aerial combat operations in North Vietnam. After Commander Crayton had sought out and led a devastating attack against a major line of communication, his aircraft sustained crippling damage and he was forced to eject over enemy-held territory. Although injured, and confronted with the danger of imminent capture, he courageously directed the efforts of his two wingmen in discouraging the approach of enemy ground troops. Knowing t he critically low fuel state of the wingmen’s aircraft, he directed them to depart the scene although their departure almost surely would lead to his own capture by the enemy troops. Commander Crayton’s sound judgment, selfless concern for his men, and extraordinary heroism in the face of grave personal danger were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.