THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WASHINGTON, D,C 20350

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY AND MARINE CORPS MEDAL to

CAPTAIN ANDREW N. PRATT UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For heroism while serving as a member of the United States Military Observer Group in southern Lebanon on 25 February 1979. Sighting two badly wounded Lebanese civilians lying in a minefield near the Israel-Lebanon Armistice Line, Captain Pratt realized any delay to wait for engineer assistance to clear a path would preclude the possibility of saving lives. With complete disregard for his own safety and fully aware of the personal dangers involved, Captain Pratt unhesitatingly entered the minefield. He quickly and expertly administered first aid to one of the wounded. Determining that the other person was dead, Captain Pratt immediately directed and assisted in evacuating the first casualty. Captain Pratt’s prompt and courageous action at great personal risk was an inspiration for all, demonstrated his deep concern for human life, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

N¢WY AN D MAI I IN E (;01 / PS M !’: DA1,

TO

SEP m 79

For the President,

ecretary of the Acting

ii

Engraving. Although the flat, blank reverse of the NMCM was intended to allow the engraving of the recipient’s name, early Navy regulations did not specif- ically address when official engraving was appropriate except for awards made posthumously. In 1942, the Navy’s Bureau of Personnel decided that all posthumous decorations would be en- graved before its presenta- tion to the next-of-kin, and the Navy contracted a pri- vate firm to engrave the re- cipient’s name and rank on all posthumous NMCMs.35

Reverse of the NMCM

awarded to Ensign

Robert M. Hendon

During the war years, all nonposthumous NMCMs were issued unnamed. In addition, early recipients received only a ribbon bar at the award ceremony, while the cased medal must have come some time later. Today, the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual states that "military decorations (other than the Medal of Honor) are not engraved for living recipients, but posthumous awards of the NMCM may be officially engraved with the "recip- ient’s grade, nalne, and branch of service.’’36 For the above reasons, almost all the NMCMs encomatered will either be ulmamed or privately engraved. The two NMCM reverses illustrated in this article (Youel and Hendon) are examples of privately engraved specimens.

Recipients

Pre-World War II. Although PL 702 allowed retro- active awards of the NMCM based upon letters of com- mendation citing heroism, the number actually awarded must have been small. Moreover, such NMCMs would be impossible to verify m~less the recipient had his name engraved on the reverse of the planchet. An example of a pre-World War II award is the NMCM to Lt. Cdr. Milo Ashbel Youel, Medical Corps. Youel was awarded the NMCM "for heroic conduct in rescuing a comrade from drowning at Flamingo Beach, Culebra (Puerto Rico), on January 21, i941." The reverse of Youel’s NMCM is illustrated on page 10.

World War II. A thousand plus NMCMs were awarded from 1942 to 1945, including more than 450 to marines

Volume 52 Number 4

and 180 to coast guardsmen. 37,3s The earliest acts of World War II noncombat heroism to be recognized were those that occurred on the first day of hostilities. Some examples are:

"BENNETT, Pryor. Carpenters Mate 1st Class. For devo-

tion to duty as a diver during tile salvage of ships at Pearl

Harbor bnmediately f ollmving the 7 December 1941 attack."

"BOTHNE, Adolph M. Boatswain. During the rescue of the battleship USS Nevada, Boatswain Bothne rescued two shipmates from a hydrogen sulfide filled compartment Unfortunately, both men were overcome and died from the poisonous fumes (posthumous award)."

"HENDON, Robert M., Ensign. For outstanding perform-

ance of duty as leading diver and later officer supervisor of

divers during salvage operations at Pearl Harbor after the

attack by the Japanese."

"SCHMITT, Aloysius H., LL (jg), Chaplain Corps. During

the attack on the fleet by Japanese forces at Pearl Harbor,

the battleship USS Oklahoma listed and turned over.

Chaplain Aloysius H. Schmitt assisted shipmates to escape

through a small porthole, remaining to the last and loosing

his own life."

Official photograph of Chaplain Schmitt taken shortly before his death at Pearl Harbor

12

The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America

Lieutenant Bienia being presented the NMCM by Rear Adtm Charles A. Lockwood, Jr., at Pearl Harbor on 21 March 1943. Admiral Lockwood was the Commander of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force. Note that Adm. Lockwood is pinning just the ribbon bar on LL Bienia because at the time the medal had not yet been produced.

An unusual NMCM, awarded to a submariner in 1944,

shows that sustained heroism could also be recognized.

The citation to this NMCM reads:

"BROWN, l~tlliam G., LL (jg), U.S. Navy. For heroic

conduc~ and outstanding devotion to duty as Sound Officer

aboard USS PLUNGER during three highly successful war

patrols in enemy Japanese controlled waters. When his ship

was in imminent danger from severe and prolonged depth-

charge attacks, Lieutenant Brown, constantly vigilant and

alert, furnished his Commanding Officer with accurate

information concerning enemy movements and rendered

effective service in the evasive tactics employed by the

PLUNGER in withdrawal from a confined area with only

minor damage to the shay."

An earlier example of an NMCM for sustained heroism is the award to Lt. John P. Bienia, U.S. Naval Reserve. Another submariner, Bienia was recognized for heroism between December 1942 and January 1943 during his fourth war patrol aboard the USS Silversides.

While the award of an NMCM brought every recipient a moment of richly deserved recognition, the most famous World War II recipient is certainly Lt. (jg) John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr., the future President of the U.S. The citation for his NMCM reads:

"For extremely heroic conduct as Commanding Offwer of

Motor Torpedo Boat 109, following the collision and sinking

of that vessel in the Pacific War Area on August 1-2, 1943.

13