Robert S. Brown’s Navy Cross citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to

Robert S. Brown

Major, U.S. Marine Corps

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service as Operations Officer of the FIRST Marine Raider Battalion, during the enemy Japanese attack on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of 13 and 14 September 1942. Adeptly reorganizing troops which had withdrawn from the main line of resistance to the rear of the reserve line, Major Brown committed them to action under direction of the Battalion Commander. Afterward, reporting for duty at a point along the line where a hostile breakthrough was imminent, he, with proficient skill and complete disregard for his own personal safety, assisted in the defense of the position until he was wounded by the explosion of a Japanese hand grenade. While he was being evacuated from the Battalion aid station, the ambulance in which he was a passenger was subjected to merciless machine gun fire and he was killed. He gallantly gave his life for his country.