The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Sergeant Raymond G. Rogers, Jr. (MCSN: 583291), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as First Sergeant, Company I, Third Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 30 March 1967. While on Operation PRAIRIE III, northwest of Cam Lo, near the Demilitarized Zone, the command post group with two squads and a sixty-millimeter mortar section were preparing night positions on Hill 70 when they were hit with a vicious mortar barrage followed by an intense and vicious ground assault by an estimated reinforced North Vietnamese Army company. Seeing his company commander’s position occupied by the enemy, he single-handedly charged through heavy automatic weapons fire and grenades to assist him. Upon reaching the position, he found his company commander mortally wounded and engaged the numerically superior enemy force, killing several. In this instant he was severely wounded by rifle fire, but despite his painful injuries, he continued to deliver accurate and effective fire upon the enemy. Seeing the weapons platoon commander go down, he crawled to him, administered first aid and, at the injured man’s request, propped him into a firing position. Being the senior Marine present, he assumed command of his remaining forces and crawled through a widely exposed area to radio and re-establish contact with the battalion. While attempting to call in artillery fire on his own position, a Huey Gunship came into the area. He established contact with the gunship and directed fire on the enemy, but the enemy hordes kept coming into his positions. Although seriously wounded, he led six seriously wounded survivors to a covered position and established a hasty defense. As a result of his professionalism, courageous leadership and stirring example, the fanatic enemy assaults were stopped, and he and his forces accounted for sixty-two enemy soldiers killed. By his daring initiative, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty in the face of grave personal risk, First Sergeant Rogers served to inspire all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.