The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chief Pharmacist’s Mate Lester L. Petermann, United States Navy, for heroic conduct when LST 499 converted into a hospital ship and loaded withy casualties, was struck off a Normandy assault beach on 8 June 1944. Chief Pharmacist’s Mate Petermann, although seriously wounded, supervised safe removal of all casualties from the tank deck, assisted in searching the sinking ship for casualties among her personnel and, aboard the rescue vessel, helped attend the wounded survivors until ordered to retire because of exhaustion.