Second Lieutenant Voss, Clair H. USMC Navy Cross Navy Cross Second Lieutenant Clair H. Voss U.S. Marine Corps Reserve For extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy Japanese forces on IWO JIMA, VOLCANO ISLANDS, on 27 February, 1945. Second Lieutenant Voss destroyed a pill box which was holding up the advance of his entire platoon. As his platoon was advancing toward the high ground to its immediate front, it was pinned down by heavy machine gun fire from a pill box to its left front. Repeated efforts were made without success to destroy this pill box through the use of supporting weapons and demolitions teams. Realizing that the enemy position was holding up the advance of the entire company, 2nd Lieutenant Voss armed himself with hand grenades and demolitions and, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, crawled forward and to the rear of the pill box. From there, by using hand grenades he succeeded in silencing the machine gun. Then, ignoring the heavy machine gun fire from adjacent enemy positions he moved forward and with great bravery crawled to the top of the pill box and completely annihilated the remaining personnel with a demolition charge. By his great courage and devotion to duty, 2nd Lieutenant Voss made possible the continued advance of his company at a time vital to the success of the operation. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.