The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Fireman Apprentice James C. Beason, United States Navy, for heroic conduct on the night of 28 October 1961 while serving on board U.S.S. AJAX (AR-6) at anchor in open roadstead off Iwakuni, Japan. When a shipmate accidentally fell into the water while disembarking from a liberty launch alongside AJAX, Fireman Apprentice Beason, as engineer of the motor launch, immediately dived into the hazardous waters and, despite darkness, strong winds, and the dangerous current, succeeded in reaching the victim and in keeping him afloat until others could assist in the rescue. By his prompt and courageous action in an emergency, Fireman Apprentice Beason was directly instrumental in saving the life of a shipmate.