The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Edward C. Nelson, Jr. (MCSN: 0-10017), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of Company C, Fifth Tank Battalion, FIFTH Marine Division, in operations against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 20 February 1945. When communications were disrupted between his company and the infantry unit his vehicles were assigned to support, First Lieutenant Nelson courageously abandoned his tank and, after installing the next senior officer as tank leader, made his way through intense enemy mortar, machine-gun and sniper fire to the infantry command post. After obtaining the plan of attack and scheme of maneuver, he gallantly returned to his waiting tanks and, using the outside telephone, relayed the needed information to his company in time for it to participate in the attack. Remaining on foot throughout the day, First Lieutenant Nelson made numerous trips from the command post to his front line tanks despite the continuing rain of hostile fire and skillfully coordinated his tanks’ fire with the advance of the infantry, thereby contributing materially to the destruction of forty-six enemy installations and annihilation of over one hundred Japanese. First Lieutenant Nelson’s superb leadership and aggressive fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.