The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chief Engineman John L. Scrimiger, United States Navy, for heroic conduct on 1 May 1959 as Chief Petty Officer in charge of U.S.S. CAPITAINE (SS-336) Rescue and Assistance Party while fighting a fire in the engineroom of the Norwegian ship, FERNGULF, in Vancouver Harbor, British Columbia. Under Chief Scrimiger’s inspiring and courageous leadership, CAPTAINE’s fire-fighting unit boarded the stricken ship and repeatedly entered the hot, smoke-filled compartments in an effort to control and extinguish the fire, despite the threatened collapse of decks, ladders and passageways, and the ever present danger of further fire and explosion.