The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Captain Harley Hannibal Christy, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession in Command of the U.S.S. SAN DIEGO, engaged in the important, exacting and hazardous duty of transporting and escorting troops and supplies to European ports through waters infested with enemy submarines and mines. Particularly for exceptionally meritorious conduct at the time the SAN DIEGO was struck by a mine and sunk on 19 July 1918, and later for service in command of the U.S.S. WYOMING in the Atlantic Fleet.