COLONEL JOHN E. HARBERT, (then First Lieutenant), Ordnance Department, Headquarters 32nd Division, United States Army. For extraordinary heroism in action near Cape Sudest, New Guinea, on November 16, 1942. When enemy airplanes attacked and set fire to a small ship, First Lieutenant Harbert organized a party of men to pull to shore a barge loaded with men and ammunition. Throughout repeated strafing by hostile planes, he refused to take cover and continued his efforts. When flaming debris from explosions of munitions aboard the ship fell on the barge, he remained aboard and personally assisted in throwing the fragments overboard and in extinguishing the flames. His courage and calmness set a heroic example to men who had sought cover and so steadied and inspired them that work was resumed and the unloading of the badly needed ammunition on the barge was successfully accomplished.

Col. Harbert was a life member and resided in Florida.