The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Lieutenant Norman R. Stanford (MCSN: 0-23102), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as a Naval Gunfire Observer of Headquarters Battalion, FIRST Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, on 3 May 1945. Advancing with his forward observer team to one of the battalion’s front line companies which was subjected to heavy fire from enemy 320-mm. mortars, First Lieutenant Stanford realized that observation from this position was limited due to grazing hostile machine-gun and accurate sniper fire and, crawling alone with a radio on his back to a position over two hundred yards forward of the front lines to an exposed point overlooking the enemy mortar positions, fearlessly adjusted the burst of our heavy shells less than one hundred yards from himself, thereby completely destroying three Japanese emplacements. His leadership, courage and unwavering devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.