The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Rodney Nielson Brown (NSN: 0-311458), United States Naval Reserve, for heroism in rescuing four men who were trapped below decks in the U.S.S. EVANS (DD-552) during an engagement with the enemy in the vicinity of Okinawa on 11 May 1945. When his ship was repeatedly struck by Japanese suicide planes, the hatches to the after fireroom were frozen in a locket position. Assisted by another man, he cut open a hatch to the flooded compartment, thereby saving the lives of his wounded shipmates. With complete disregard of his own safety, he then voluntarily and courageously entered the forward engineroom, despite intense heat and escaping high pressure steam, and assisted in the removal of wounded men. His heroic actions, performed in the face of great danger to himself, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.