The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Private First Class Cedrick Jurgens (MCSN: 343306), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving as a Machine Gunner in a Platoon of Company C, First Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Peleliu, Palau Islands, on 18 September 1944. Due to dense undergrowth, rough terrain and the intense combat activity in the area, a platoon of our tanks leading an advance mistook Private First Class Jurgens’ company for the enemy and began to deliver heavy fire which inflicted casualties and threatened the annihilation of his platoon. While the Platoon Leader was attempting to move his men to a position of comparative safety, Private First Class Jurgens voluntarily and courageously dashed forward in the face of the intense machine-gun and rifle fire and bravely standing in an upright position despite the rain of fire, signaled the tanks. Although wounded while exposing himself, he succeeded in stopping the fire of the armored vehicles and thereby saved the lives of many members of the platoon. By his daring initiative, fortitude and unselfish devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death, Private First Class Jurgens upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.