The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain John C. Wood (MCSN: 0-1080), United States Marine Corps, for distinguished service in the line of his profession during the period 11 – 13 April 1931, during operations against organized banditry in the vicinity of Logtown and Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Having been directed by the Area Commander on 11 April 1931 to proceed immediately to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, to take over the command of the Department of Northern Bluefields as relief for the late Captain Harlen Pefley, U.S. Marine Corps, killed in combat the same day, Captain Wood arrived in Puerto Cabezas at about 2:00 p.m. 12 April and, after endeavoring to reassure a panic-stricken town alarmed by rumors of bandit attacks, proceeded at 3:00 a.m., 13 April, on a special train with four enlisted men of the Guardia Nacional out 120 kilometers of railroad known to be infested with active groups of armed outlaws, to the relief of a Guardia patrol under First Sergeant Clyde R. Darrah, U.S. Marine Corps, which had been engaged in combat for the previous twenty-four hours. Taking personal command of the combined patrol, Captain Wood at 7:00 a.m., 13 April, proceeded by train to Snaki Bridge where he was forced to abandon his train, marched his patrol nine miles along the railroad to Logtown where, ably assisted by two Marine Corps planes equipped with bombs and machine guns, he vigorously attacked a large group of bandits under the command of the jefe, Pedro Blandon, which attack, characterized by the prompt, efficient and vigorous use of the force and weapons at his disposal, resulted in the deaths of Blandon and at least twenty of his men and completely dispersed the other outlaws from the scene of the action. In this operation Captain Wood within forty-eight hours of his departure from Bluefields two hundred miles away, destroyed the band of bandits that had ambushed and killed Captain Pefley two days before, killed its notoriously vicious and cruel leader, saved the lives of many persons who were endangered by the presence of the bandit group, relieved the threat against the town of Puerto Cabezas, which was the declared goal of the outlaws and inflicted a loss upon organized banditry in Nicaragua which had a most discouraging effect upon the general offensive then being launched against the East Coast of Nicaragua. This remarkable engagement was successfully conducted with the casualty of but one enlisted Guardia wounded. During the entire battle Captain Wood distinguished himself by the display of extraordinary bravery, coolness, and leadership and by exceptional judgment, initiative and military ability.