The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain William T. Ketcham, Jr. (MCSN: 0-9679), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of Company I, Third Battalion, Twenty-Fourth Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 24 February 1945. Although suffering from a bullet wound in the arm and a shrapnel wound in the leg which he received while directing an attack against a heavily fortified position, Captain Ketcham refused to be evacuated and, despite the shock and the loss of blood from his wounds, returned to his company and led another attack against this well-defended position. Moving to a rocky crest forward of his right flank platoon in the face of heavy mortar and small-arms fire, he directed accurate 60-mm. mortar and artillery fire on four pillboxes and, after destroying these, moved his company on to commanding ground, reorganized and successfully repulsed a counterattack of some twenty Japanese. His skill, initiative and courageous devotion to duty in the face of enemy fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.