The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Robert W. Hongola, United States Navy, for heroic conduct as his ship approached a survivor of a plane crash in the Pacific Area on 24 October 1944. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Hongola realized that the exhausted man was about to go under. He dived over the side of the ship and, with a member of the crew, held up the drowning man until a boat could reach them.