The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Aviation Machinist’s Mate First Class John M. Cook, United States Navy, for heroic conduct as turret gunner of a Torpedo Plane which crashed into stormy seas after take-off from a carrier. Aviation Machinist’s Mate First Class Cook pulled his unconscious pilot out of the sinking craft and dragged him to a hastily inflated life raft.