The Medal of Honor, the Nation's highest award for military valor, is given only to those who have acted with supreme courage, with total disregard for their own safety in the face of the most hazardous conditions.

It is an award that only a comparative handful of men in the world are entitled to wear. It is bestowed by Act of Congress and reflects the nation's gratitude to those who, in moments of uncommon risk, offered everything they had in her defense, including life itself.

The medal itself is but a humble token, a gesture of recognition for sacrifices which cannot be repaid in worldly goods.

Of the twelve men who were awarded the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry" while serving with the Fourth Marine Division, seven did not live to have the honor bestowed on them personally. Six of these men died in the actions for which they are cited. To them, "above and beyond the call of duty" were not mere words but a challenge which involved their skill, determination, and self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death. Their reward was the knowledge that they were acting in the tradition of the highest ideals of the Naval Service and of the Nation it represents.

Those who lived to wear the Medal of Honor did so proudly and yet with the spirit of humility befitting true heroes. They shared the highest glory of which it is a symbol, yet held it in solemn trust for comrades less fortunate. Whether they lived or whether they died, our Nation is richer for their actions.