The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade [then Ensign] Ralph Ellsworth Graham, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer U.S.S. DRAYTON (DD-366), in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Okinawa Jima, on 3 May 1945. When his ship was hit and severely damaged by enemy suicide planes, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Graham assumed charge of the after repair parties and, with both the engineering officer and the damage control officer seriously wounded, directed the securing of the forward engineroom and fireroom. Proceeding aft to the completely wrecked after fireroom and engineroom, he personally went down into the flaming, flooded and smoking fireroom and secured the oil supply of one of the boilers which shortly thereafter exploded. After directing the after repair party in bring in raging fire in a handling room under control, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Graham set up a make-shift first aid station on the fantail and assisted in caring for the dying and wounded men brought from the machinery spaces and after gun mounts, cutting loose a life raft to place the badly wounded in it and thereby saving the lives of at least three men. Although the word had been passed to abandon the sinking ship, he made an inspection below decks aft with another man to appraise any further damage and to remove any wounded men who might still be below. His courage and devotion were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.