The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chief Pharmacist’s Mate Vernon M. Floyd, United States Navy, for heroic conduct while serving as a Medical Corpsman attached to the FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, during World War II. In charge of 16 patients being evacuated by air from Guadalcanal on 21 October 1942, Chief Pharmacist’s Mate Floyd suffered three fractured ribs when the plane made a forced landing on a coral reef. For ten days thereafter, although suffering acute pain, he gave expert care to all hands, and manufactured a device for the distillation of sea water. Largely through his efforts all evacuees were eventually rescued in good physical condition.