Eugene S. Sarsfield

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Eugene S. Sarsfield, Lieutenant 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. MADDOX (DD-6232), during the amphibious invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. While his ship was effectively supporting the assault at Gela, Lieutenant Commander Sarsfield, in the face of terrific aerial bombardment, maintained alert and accurate direction of gunfire until the Maddox was gravely damaged by one direct hit and two near misses. Grimly standing by to supervise abandonment of the rapidly sinking vessel, he was responsible for saving the lives of nine officers and sixty-five men out of a total of two hundred and eighty-four on board. Lieutenant Commander Sarsfield’s inspiring leadership and the valiant devotion to duty of his command contributed in large measure to the outstanding success of these vital missions and reflect great credit upon the United States Naval Service.

Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 325 (April 1944)