The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Robert Frank Durand, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty while serving as a Medical Corpsman on board the Destroyer Escort U.S.S. WESSON (DE-184), in action against enemy Japanese forces north of Le Shima on 7 April 1945. Suffering a severe leg wound as the result of the crash of a hostile suicide plane on his ship, Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Durand applied a tourniquet to his injured leg and, despite his great pain, courageously dragged himself about the vessel to care for his wounded shipmates. By his courage and efforts in behalf of others at great risk to his own life, Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Durand undoubtedly saved many lives, and his steadfast devotion to duty throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.