The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Second Lieutenant William B. Rippee (MCSN: 0-18978), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism while attached to Company B, Second Battalion, Eighteenth Marines, SECOND Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Tinian, Mariana Islands, 4 August 1944. Quick to act when Japanese troops hidden in a cave attacked his patrol group and threw a grenade into their midst, First Lieutenant Rippee unhesitatingly covered the missile with his feet, taking the full impact of the explosion. By his prompt and courageous action in the face of grave personal hazards, First Lieutenant Rippee saved the lives of his men, and his inspiring leadership throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.