The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Engineman Second Class John R. Stokes, Jr., United States Navy, for heroism on the morning of 6 June 1963 while serving as Petty Officer of the Watch in the forward engine room on board U.S.S. VITAL (MSO-474), operating in the Gulf of Mexico. When a severe fire broke out in the forward engine room, Engineman Second Class Stokes, although deprived of water to combat the fire because of a simultaneous loss of fire main pressure, immediately utilized an installed carbon dioxide system to hold back the flames in order to permit other men in his watch section to secure power and to secure a generator in the area. Only when at the point of exhaustion, and after all other personnel were clear of the engine room, did he evacuate his station.