The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” to Quartermaster Second Class John C. Beaugard, United States Navy, for heroism while serving aboard the U.S.S. Murrelet (AM-372), as a member of the ship’s Armed Whaleboat Crew. On the night of 17 February 1952, minesweeper U.S.S. Murrelet was steaming independently on blockade, and anti-mining patrol, between Hungnam and Cha-ho, North Korea. Near Songdo Gap, radar contact in the direction of the beach was made at a range of 10,000 yards. The U.S.S. Murrelet changed course to close the range, and to get between the target and the beach, in order to prevent escape. At a range of 400 yards, Murrelet illuminated the targe with her 12-inch signal searchlight, and the light disclosed a large two-mast sampan, with all sails set. Murrelet fired one 20-mm. burst through the rigging, severing and dropping both sails of the sampan. Murrelet came alongside, threw over two grappling hooks, and secured the junk. Six North Koreans surrendered, and the sampan was taken to the ROK Navy. Admiral George C. Dyer had put out an aggressive dispatch about armed whaleboats, to capture, instead of sinking enemy sampans. So the Murrelet’s skipper procured walkie-talkies, built a radar reflector screen for the whaleboat, and then fooed a whaleboat crew, which included Quartermaster Second Class Beaugard, and others. The whaleboat worked 3 to 4 miles from the ship. The whaleboat vectored out on six contacts, and captured six sampans and 26 enemy prisoners. On 31 May 1952, the armed whaleboat vectored about 3.5 miles into Hongwon Roads, to a double contact. The sampan occupants put their hands in the air and surrendered. Suddenly a North Korean threw a hand grenade into the after compartment of the whale boat, killing one man and wounding two others, and blew a three foot hole in the whaleboat’s port quarter. The crew members opened fire and killed the occupants of both sampans. [Quartermaster Second Class Beaugard is authorized to wear the Combat “V”.]