The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Lieutenant William F. James, United States Navy, for heroic conduct during World War II. When his ship, the U.S.S. JOSEPH HEWES (AP-50) was torpedoed and sunk 11 November 1942, off Fedala, French Morocco, Lieutenant James supervised the lowering of the sick and wounded over the side and directed the men at the rail in abandoning ship. Just as the ship was making her final plunge, he turned back and assisted in freeing a soldier who was pinned under a mass of debris.