The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chief Quartermaster William Wagner, United States Navy, for heroic conduct during World War II. During an engagement with a Japanese gunboat during which several officers and men of his submarine were killed and wounded, Chief Quartermaster Wagner climbed to the bridge and assisted in removing two of the injured men to the conning tower. As the submarine submerged, he worked to prevent flooding of the conning tower and enabled his crippled ship to make port safely.