The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (Posthumously) to Commander Claude William Haman, United States Navy, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy during a fire on 12 January 1943. Discovering a fire in a corridor, Commander Haman ignored a nearby exit through which he could have escaped, seized a fire extinguisher and rushed toward the center of the flames in an attempt to check the fire which endangered the officers under his command. As he staggered away from the blaze, fatally burned, his only concern was for the safety of his men.