Franklin Roosevelt's Labor Day Fireside Chat On The Cost Of Living And The Progress Of The

Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. My friends, I wish that all Americans could read all the citations for various medals recommended for our soldiers and sailors and Marines. I am picking out one of these citations which tells of the accomplishments of Lieutenant John James Powers, United States Navy, during three days of the battles of Japanese forces in

the Carl C. Between the first two days, Lieutenant Power, flying the dive bomber in the face of blasting enemy anti-aircraft fire, demolished one large enemy gunboat, put another gunboat out of commission, severely damaged in the aircraft tender, and a 20,000-tonne transport, and scored a direct hit on an aircraft carrier which burst into flames and sank Sonasta.

The official citation then described as the morning of the third day of battle. As the pilots of his squadron left the ready room to man their planes, Lieutenant Power said to them, remember, the folks back home are counting on us.

I am going to get a hit if I have to lay it on their flight deck. He let his section down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, for a wall of bursting anti-aircraft shells and swarms of enemy planes.

He dived almost to the very deck of the enemy carrier, and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit. He was last seen attempting recovery from his dive at the extremely low altitude of 200 feet amid a terrific barrage of shells and bomb fragments and smoke and flame and debris

from the stricken vessel. His own plane was destroyed by the explosion of his own bomb. But he had made good his promise on the flight deck. I have received the recommendation from the Secretary of the Navy, Lieutenant John James Powers of New York City, missing in action the awarded the Medal of Honor. I hereby and now make this award. You and I, for those protection