The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Staff Sergeant Donald S. Parrish, United States Marine Corps, for heroism while serving as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, Marine Wing Support Squadron TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR, Marine Wing Support Group Twenty-Seven, SECOND Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, North Carolina. On Saturday, 18 July 2000, while vacationing at Topsail Beach, North Carolina, an unknown man notified Staff Sergeant Parrish that “someone was drowning.” Without hesitation, and with complete lack of regard for his own life, he immediately ran the five hundred meters to the position where the man was pointing, and instinctively entered the waters, despite the obvious rip tide that had overwhelmed two female swimmers who were frantically screaming for help. Although exhausted to the point of compromising his own life, Staff Sergeant Parrish was miraculously able to rescue-swim approximately two hundred meters with an unresponsive mother and her twelve year old daughter to a point where others were able to enter the water and assist in life saving actions. Despite his heroic efforts, the mother did not survive the incident; an unfortunate reality as to the powerful waters Staff Sergeant Parrish was able to overcome through his physical and mental intrepidity. By his courageous and prompt actions, Staff Sergeant Parrish was personally responsible for saving a young girl’s life, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.