The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Lieutenant Lemuel H. Ridout, United States Navy, for heroic conduct at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy, on the occasion of the capsizing of a small motorboat on Lake McClellan, near Amarillo, Texas, on 4 July 1942. Witnessing the accident from a floating pier and observing a woman struggling desperately to remain above water, Lieutenant Ridout unhesitatingly dived into the lake to her rescue. Although she had already gone down twice, and was in a shocked and dazed condition by the time he reached her, he managed, by calm persuasion and exhausting efforts, to swim back to the dock with her in time for effective resuscitation.