The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Seaman First Class Basil D. Izzi, United States Navy, for heroic conduct when his ship was torpedoed and exploded 2 November 1942. Thrown into the sea, Seaman First Class Izzi fought off delirium and death during a 2,200-mile trip on a raft with two companions. Subsisting on fish, birds and rainwater, and tortured repeatedly by vain hopes of rescue, he bravely disregarded his own plight to uphold the morale of his companions.