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The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Lieutenant John Somerville Eaton Young (MCSN: 0-4088), United States Marine Corps, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as aviator while attached to the Second Marine Brigade operating in the Republic of Nicaragua. On 12 April 1931, Lieutenant Young in the face of machine gun and rifle fire from bandits located and most effectively bombed a bandit camp near Moss Farm, Nicaragua. On 13 April 19331, he assisted in effecting a crossing of the Snaki Bridge by a ground patrol and thereafter located a bandit camp at Logtown; this information he delivered to the ground patrol which he guided to the scene, meanwhile, at great personal risk, effectively harassing the enemy and pinning him to the ground with machine gun fire until arrival of the patrol. The ensuing engagement resulted in the death of the notorious Sandino jefe, Pedro Blandon, one of the most brilliant successes in the Nicaraguan campaign.

Awards Received

  • Distinguished Flying Cross

    Service:

    United States Marine Corps

    Rank:

    First Lieutenant

    Batallion:

    Aircraft Squadrons

    Regiment:

    2d Marine Brigade (Nicaragua)

    Action Date:

    June 19, 1930
    Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 303 (June 1942)

    The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant John Somerville Eaton Young (MCSN: 0-4088), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while attached to the Aircraft Squadrons, Second Brigade, United States Marine Corps, operating in the Republic of Nicaragua. On the morning of 19 June 1930, First Lieutenant Young, while pilot in a two-plane patrol, encountered and developed a hostile group of bandits, variously estimated at from two hundred to six hundred, under Sandino, on Saraguasa Mountain. With courage, coolness and skill he attacked with bombs and machine gun fire, and though his airplane was struck by hostile gun fire, he nevertheless, at great personal risk, over perilous jungle and under constant enemy rifle machine gun fire, continued the attack until his ammunition was exhausted. Again on the afternoon of the same day he returned in a six-plane patrol to the same place, where at low altitude, he continued the assault under constant hostile fire for an hour and twenty minutes. As a result of these contacts the bandits suffered many casualties, were forced to retire and organized banditry was dealt a severe and telling blow.