William Henry Sanders, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to William Henry Sanders, Jr., Commander, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer U.S.S. AARON WARD (DD-483), in action against the enemy on 3 May 1945, while deployed off Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands on 3 May 1945. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Navy of the United States.