The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Joseph Patrick Kennedy, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Commander of a Navy Liberator Patrol Plane in Bombing Squadron ONE HUNDRED TEN (VB-110), Special Air Unit ONE (Europe), during a special air mission directed at Mimoyecques, France, on August 12, 1944. Well knowing the extreme dangers involved and totally unconcerned for his own safety, Lieutenant Kennedy unhesitatingly volunteered to conduct an exceptionally hazardous and special operational mission. Intrepid and daring in his tactics and with unwavering confidence in the vital importance of his task, he willingly risked his life in the supreme measure of service, and, by his great personal valor and fortitude in carrying out a perilous undertaking, sustained and enhanced the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Kennedy was flying in support of Operation Aphrodite (US Army Air Forces) and Operation Anvil (US Navy). The overall mission was to deliberately crash loaded B-17 and PB4Y-1 bombers, under radio control, into enemy targets. The aircraft could not safely take off on their own, so two pilots would take the bombers off, fly to 2,000 feet, arm the explosives, and bail out over friendly territory before the bomber flew to the enemy target. Unfortunately, after arming the explosives, the bomber blew up before Kennedy and his copilot could bail out.