The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to First Sergeant William E. McGhee (MCSN: 212357), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as second in command of a patrol of the Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua in contact with a bandit group at Embarcaderos, Nicaragua on 15 June 1931. When attacked by a vastly superior force, First Sergeant McGhee seized a Thompson sub-machine gun and opened fire on the bandits, continuing to operate the gun until he fell mortally wounded and died shortly after. After Sergeant McGhee was wounded and until he died he encouraged his men to carry on and fight and kept praising and urging them on to greater efforts. By his splendid example of devotion to duty, loyalty and heroism the Guardia continued shooting it out with the bandit group, inflicting severe losses of killed and wounded until the Guardia’s ammunition was completely exhausted.