The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Shipfitter First Class Patrick McGunigal, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism while attached to the U.S.S. Huntington. On the morning of 17 September 1917, while the U.S.S. Huntington was passing through the war zone, a kite balloon was sent up with Lieutenant, Junior Grade, H. W. Hoyt, U.S. Navy, as observer. When the balloon was about 400 feet in the air, the temperature suddenly dropped, causing the balloon to descend about 200 feet, when it was struck by a squall. The balloon was hauled to the ship’s side, but the basket trailed in the water and the pilot was submerged. Shipfitter First Class McGunigal, with great daring, climbed down the side of the ship, jumped to the ropes leading to the basket, and cleared the tangle enough to get the pilot out of them. He then helped the pilot to get clear, put a bowline around him, and enabled him to be hauled to the deck. A bowline was then lowered to McGunigal and he was taken safely aboard.