The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Ensign Lester K. Pecan, United States Navy, for heroic conduct following the explosion of the naval magazine at Port Chicago, California, on 17 July 1944. Lieutenant George W. Laidlaw, Ensign Howard T. Healy and Ensign Lester K. Pecan voluntarily proceeded from Mare Island to the scene and entered an extremely hazardous area where ammunition cars were on fire. They broke open the burning cars, working on top of them, and played hoses through the holes made by falling fragments, continually exposing themselves to danger until the flames were extinguished. They contributed materially to bringing the flames under control, thereby averting further explosions and possible loss of life.