The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Private Richard J. Litz (MCSN: 225146), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while a member of a Marine patrol in contact with a bandit group near Achuapa, Nicaragua, on 31 December 1930. The patrol of which he was a member, while on telephone line repair work, was attacked by a vastly superior force of bandits, and upon the opening of the bandit fire, Private Litz armed with a Sub-Thompson machine gun took up a position alongside the trail and returned fire. During the course of the action, another member of the patrol armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle was severely wounded in the shoulder and unable to support the weight of the Browning. Private Litz, seeing his condition, moved over to him in the face of heavy fire and exchanged places. He then continued firing with the Browning until he was killed. Private Litz’s conduct during this action was of the highest order and beyond the ordinary call of duty.