The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Corporal Clarence Terrell Nicholas (MCSN: 328878), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving as a Squad Leader of Company B, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu, Palau Islands, from 15 to 29 September 1944. Discovering an active hostile pillbox to the rear of our lines at a time when his squad was separated from the remainder of its platoon during the initial landing, Corporal Nicholas effectively directed his unit against the enemy position until it was destroyed, thereby eliminating a threat to the successful landings of succeeding waves of our troops. On another occasion, when his guide was losing much blood from a serious wound and his squad was pinned down by hostile automatic weapons fire from the mouth of a cave dug into the side of a strategic hill, he courageously crawled through a curtain of intense Japanese fire to apply a tourniquet on his comrade, undoubtedly saving the man’s life. Exposing himself to the continued barrage in order to remain at his comrade’s side, he tirelessly directed his squad at the same time in firing point-blank into the cave’s entrance and, by neutralizing it effectively until tanks and flame throwers could be brought to his assistance and destroy the hostile installation, contributed materially to his company’s successful capture of this vital objective. His outstanding courage, gallant devotion to duty and grave concern for the welfare of another were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.