The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Corporal Edward Melnitsky (MCSN: 304539), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with a Rifle Company of the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 27 September and 8 October 1942. As leader of a wire party on 27 September, Corporal Melnitsky, while moving forward, came upon an advance artillery observation post with an unmanned telephone. On his own initiative and in spite of heavy fire from hostile mortars and machine guns, he immediately took charge of the instrument and by his alert presence of mind and timely action, enabled our artillery to deliver the enemy a vigorous shelling. On 8 October, accompanied by another Marine, Corporal Melnitsky went forward to bring back his Battalion Commander who had been severely wounded. Although he, himself, was truck three times by Japanese machine gun fire along the way, he, nevertheless, refused to be moved to the rear until the injured officer had been safely evacuated from the danger area. His conscientious devotion to duty and gallant spirit of self-sacrifice, maintained with utter disregard of personal safety, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.