CAPTAIN JOHN DAVID HOWELL, (then Lieutenant), United States Navy. For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as Plotting Room Officer during the operations of United States Naval Forces off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of October 11-12, 1942. After most efficiently performing his duties in Plot during action, Lieutenant Howell left Plot of his own volition, when the ship broke off the action, and entered the Five-inch magazines. Here he organized working parties to shift five-inch ammunition from flooding magazines to dry ones, thereby saving many rounds of ammunition. He had all magazine doors securely dogged which prevented further flooding. As Plotting Room Officer Lieutenant Howell know the dangerous condition the ship was in, yet he did not hesitate to enter the danger area and do all in his power to save the ship, at the risk of his own life.

Captain Howell resides in Tennessee.