The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Donnie R. Smith, United States Navy, for heroic conduct on 10 June 1960 while serving as an Aircrewman with Unit 12 of Helicopter Utility Squadron ONE, attached to the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. When the helicopter in which he was flying as crewman developed engine trouble and was forced to ditch at sea, Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Smith elected to remain in the plane to aid a Marshallese native who was being transported to a hospital. With the helicopter sinking rapidly, Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Smith managed to push the man through a small port escape hatch to the surface and, before abandoning the aircraft himself, attempted to take the five-man life raft to the surface, but found the escape hatch was now blocked by the bamboo cot used by the disabled native. He then swam downward and succeeded in escaping through the starboard hatch to safety.