The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Private First Class Albert H. Bowcock (MCSN: 924562), United States Marine Corps, for heroism while attached to a Marine Infantry Battalion at Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan, on 31 December 1945. Following an explosion of two hundred depth charges on a barge at a powder dump, Private First Class Bowcock, upon learning that one of his fellow Marines was missing and thought to be in the area of the fire, volunteered to fight the fire, despite the fact that the area contained approximately thirty unexploded depth charges and one tone of pyloric acid, which was afire and might explode at any moment. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he aided in extinguishing the fire and removed his comrade’s body, thereby contributing materially to the saving of the wounded man’s life. His heroic conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.