The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Harold Sigward Roise (MCSN: 0-6134), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in the Republic of Korea from 15 to 26 September 1950. With his battalion assigned the lead position during the amphibious assault at Inchon the night of 15 September, Lieutenant Colonel Roise hit the beach in darkness under heavy enemy fire. Maintaining superb control of his companies in the bitter action that followed, he took position on the beachhead line in a heavy rainstorm and personally directed his units into a defensive perimeter to drive off repeated counterattacks launched by the fanatical aggressors. Continually subjecting himself to devastating artillery, mortar, automatic-weapons and small-arms fire, he pressed forward in his rapid advance to the city, expeditiously capturing assigned objectives and, on one occasion, leading a brilliantly executed maneuver to repulse a heavy counterattack with six hostile tanks and approximately 100 of the enemy destroyed without a single loss among his own units. Seriously wounded in a mortar barrage against his forward observation post as he directed his assault companies against the enemy’s main line of resistance outside the city of Seoul, on 24 September, Lieutenant Colonel Roise refused medical attention for his own wounds and diligently supervised the care and evacuation of all the wounded. Calling for and briefing his executive officer in the tactical situation, he submitted to emergency first aid but refused evacuation and, although suffering severe pain, encouraged and deployed his men in routing and destroying the enemy in each fierce encounter on their drive to capture the city. His gallant leadership, great personal valor and cool courage, maintained against tremendous odds, served to inspire all the men of his battalion and reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Colonel Roise, his heroic command and the United States Naval Service.