The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Quartermaster Third Class William T. Whitenack, United States Navy, for heroism in rescuing Radioman First Class George R. Tweed, U.S. Navy, from one of the Japanese-held islands off the Marianas Group on 10 July 1944. Under conditions of great personal danger from enemy fire which had been directed against his ship, a United States Destroyer, at a different point on the coast half an hour previously, with complete disregard of his own safety, he volunteered to engage in the rescue and courageously participated as a member of the landing party from that destroyer, which succeeded in making a landing through unfamiliar reefs under continual threat of close enemy fire, and thereafter delivered Tweed to the destroyer. His heroic conduct performed under the strong probability of enemy fire, in the face of great danger to himself, was at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.