The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Private First Class Darius W. Latch (MCSN: 512249), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving as a Squad Leader in a Platoon of Company G, Second Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 10 March 1945. When intense enemy machine-gun fire held up the advance of his platoon, Private First Class Latch located a strongly fortified cliff-line position and, although other attempts to destroy the emplacement failed, charged twice, unarmed, in the face of fierce hostile machine-gun and sniper fire to place demolition charges at the mouth of the cave. As these charges failed to silence the Japanese, he scaled the cliff to a position above the hostile cave and twice lowered himself at great risk to drop two more demolition charges with the result that he destroyed the position and the enemy within. By his aggressive fighting spirit and cool courage, Private First Class Latch enabled his company to advance, and his exemplary conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.