The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Chief Gunner’s Mate Robert Oscar Porter, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism on 10 June 1970 while serving with River Division 513, River Patrol Flotilla FIVE, Task Force 116 (TF-116), as Patrol Officer of a two-boat patrol on the Giang Thanh River in the Republic of Vietnam. Having established a night waterborne guard post in support of interdiction operations, Chief Petty Officer Porter, after several hours of waiting, detected activity in the underbrush near his boat. Quickly alerting his crew to the imminent danger, he was concentrating on a muffled sound in the bushes when a hand grenade landed on the boat, and the bank of the river erupted in fire directed at his craft. Chief Petty Officer Porter instantly yelled “grenade” and then dashed through the intense enemy fire, picked up the grenade and hurled it back onto the beach. In a matter of seconds the grenade exploded, showering the boat with a deadly hail of shrapnel and wounding him in the face. Ignoring his wounds, Chief Petty Officer Porter directed accurate suppressive fire against the enemy positions until they were silenced. In risking his own life to protect the lives of his shipmates, he displayed the highest order of valor, dedication, and selflessness, thereby upholding the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.