The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Seaman First Class Dan Strickland, United States Naval Reserve, for heroism involving voluntary risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy, in risking his life repeatedly to swim through oil-covered, shark-infested waters only a few miles from enemy territory to carry a line to exhausted survivors of a badly damaged ship, following an engagement with Japanese forces near Guadalcanal. When the line parted, he valiantly assisted several men to a drifting life raft which was eventually towed back to his warship.