Walter John Burak

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Walter John Burak (302155), Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with Headquarters, FIRST Marine Raider Battalion, during the enemy Japanese attack on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of 13 and 14 September 1942. Assigned as a messenger to the Battalion Commander, Corporal Burak, defying the extreme danger of continual hostile fire, carried messages to subordinate unit commanders along the front. With the telephone line running between points of vital strategic importance severed by enemy mortars, he skillfully repaired the break and then, with the assistance of a comrade, laid a parallel line from the Battalion switchboard to the forward observation post. As the battle grew more furious and the enemy began to envelop the left flank of our position, endangering communication lines, Corporal Burak, alone and unassisted, procured a reel of telephone wire and passing through enemy mortar, machine gun, and rifle fire, personally laid a direct wire from the forward observation post to the division command post. His gallant intrepidity and fearless devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Untied States Naval Service.