John Frederick Pauk, United States Naval Reserve: For extraordinary heroism while attached to the Third Battalion, Twenty-ninth Marines, SIXTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima, Ryukyu Islands, on June 5, 1945. When several Marines on top of a newly- seized ridge were wounded by hostile mortar and machine-gun fire, PAUK courageously crawled to their exposed position and proceeded to drag them, one at a time, to a sheltered location. Although wounded by a bullet after four trips under enemy fire, he continued his efforts and removed a number of casualties to safety. Later, realizing that all troops were needed on the front lines and that all wire and radio communications to the rear were out, PAUK made his way to the battalion aid station and, returning with stretchers and bearers, supervised the evacuation of causalities. Despite his wound, he remained with his company on the front lines until another medical corpsman could be sent forward to take his place. His heroic devotion to duty in the face of hostile fire reflects great credit on PAUK and the United States Naval Service.