The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Gunner’s Mate First Class Charles H. Tondee, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of a six-inch gun casualty on board the U.S.S. Marblehead on 28 July 1936. On the fourth salvo of the scheduled Light Cruiser Gunnery School firing, No. 6 six-inch gun sustained a breech plug casualty which resulted in the death of three men and injury to several others. At the time of the explosion Gunner’s Mate First Class Tondee was standing to the left of the breech observing the functioning of the gun. Although in the line of flying pieces of metal which inflicted slight lacerations on his face, his first thought at the time was for the unexpended powder still in the compartment. He reacted instantly and carried one of the three remaining charges out of the compartment and returned to secure the other two. His action on the occasion was solely one of forgetfulness of self and thought of the prevention of further damage to personnel and material.