The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Francis E. Stewart, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty while serving as a Medical Corpsman attached to a Marine rifle platoon, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Okinawa Shima, Ryukyu Islands, on 28 May 1945. The platoon to which Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Stewart was attached was committed to take a strategic ridge which was desperately defended by the enemy and during the attack extremely heavy small arms and mortar fire caused severe casualties. Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Stewart, daringly exposing himself to the enemy fire, went from one wounded man to another, administering first aid and utilizing shallow craters to shelter them until they could be evacuated by stretcher bearers. Upon being so painfully wounded by enemy shell fragments in both legs that he was unable to walk, he crawled forward in order to treat another seriously wounded comrade. He refused to withdraw and would not give himself first aid treatment until three remaining men who had been severely wounded were brought to him so that he could administer morphine and albumen. Only then did he treat himself and allow himself to be evacuated. His great courage and extraordinary devotion to duty inspired the men who served with him and his actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.