The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Richard J. Dreyfuss (NSN: 5559194), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty while serving as a Medical Corpsman attached to Company L, Third Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, on 21 February and 3 March 1945. On 21 February, Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Dreyfuss went to the aid of several wounded men in the face of intense machine gun and rifle fire coming from two strongly fortified pillboxes and two fire trenches which had stopped the first advance of his company. After administering first aid to the wounded men, he exposed himself to the devastating fire in order to locate the enemy position. The information so obtained allowed his company to advance and capture these positions. On 3 March, he advanced forward of the front lines in the face of withering machine gun fire in an effort to recover and treat ten wounded men. By continuing to expose himself to the enemy fire, in moving from one man to another, he was able successfully to treat six of these men, until he was severely wounded. His courage and outstanding devotion to duty were an inspiration to the men of his company. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.