The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (Posthumously) to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Jack Gilbert Smyth (NSN: 0-0729), United States Navy, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a boat officer during rescue operations in the Pacific area after the torpedoing of the U.S.S. WASP (CV-7) by Japanese forces on 15 September 1942. He maneuvered his small boat through the debris-littered sea, which was covered with flaming oil, and worked unceasingly to rescue survivors from the stricken carrier. Knowing that quantities of gasoline stored on the WASP might explode at any moment, he nevertheless took his boat under the starboard bow of the flaming carrier and rescued personnel isolated in the forward gun galleys and on the flight deck and trapped by fire and exploding ammunition. Although menaced by bursting shells, he kept on with his work of rescue.