The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Platoon Sergeant James P. McAlarnis (MCSN: 293661), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving as an Assistant Platoon Leader of Company C, First battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Peleliu, Palau Islands, on 19 and 20 September 1944. With his platoon assigned the mission of seizing the strongly defended summit of Hill 100, a coral nose studded with caves ad concrete emplacements, Platoon Sergeant McAlarnis boldly led elements of his unit through intense hostile fire to the top of the hill and then assisted his Platoon Leader in deploying his men despite fire from a fieldpiece on an adjoining ridge. On several occasions, he engaged the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand combat and, when his Leader was wounded and pinned to the ground by a bayonet in the hand of a Japanese, boldly rushed to his comrade’s aid. Throwing himself upon the enemy, he beat him into submission and hurled him over a cliff. When his platoon’s position became untenable the following morning, Platoon Sergeant McAlarnis remained until the last man had withdrawn. His fortitude, daring initiative and valiant devotion to duty throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.