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Navy Cross

When the United States entered the First World War, the country had no other meritorious decoration than the Medal of Honor. It had no decoration to recognize heroic actions that could not apply for the Medal of Honor. To fill this gap, the US Army instituted the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal in 1918. The Navy and Marine Corps followed somewhat later.
On February 4th 1919, the Navy Cross was instituted by act of Congress as the third highest Naval decoration after the Navy Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

This made the medal not very popular. Most servicemen regarded it as a minor decoration.
The Navy Cros was made retroactive till April 6th 1917. On August 7th 1942, the Congress upgraded the medal and placed it directly under the Medal of Honor. It then became a combat-only recognition.

The Navy Cross was designed by James Earl Fraser. Through the years it knew some differences. The medal itself has always been the same. It is a three part construction. The cross and the front and the back of the medallion are struck separately and soldered together. The earliest version (1919-1928) wears a ribbon with a very narrow white stripe on the blue cloth. The medal has mostly a dull, greenish bronze colour. The later issues (1928-1941) have a more custom .5" white stripe on the ribbon and are of a more darker, gunmetal bronze.
The cross is designed as a modified cross that measures 1,5 inches wide. The ends of the arms are rounded. On each re-entrant arms of the cross can be found a bunch of laurel leaves with berries to represent achievement. In the centre is depicted a sailing vessel on waves, sailing to the left. The ship is a so called Caravelle, symbolic for sailing ships of the 14th century.
The reverse bears crossed anchors of the pre-1850 period, with attached cables. In the mid can be found the letters USN.
The ribbon is in Navy Blue with a white stripe in the center, to represent the Navy service and the purity of selflessness.

The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor. The action must take place under one of three circumstances: while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party. To earn a Navy Cross the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience, or position of responsibility. An accumulation of minor acts of heroism does not justify an award of the Navy Cross.

Replicas are almost without exception struck out of one piece instead of the original three piece construction. During the years 1941-1942 a variation was seen that was nicknamed "Black Widow" with a blackened finish of the medal. Most of these awards were awarded posthumously. From the mid of World War Two the more original dull bronze finish was once more adapted.

Abel, Brent Maxwell* May 16th, 1916
† December 26th, 2005

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Abele, Mannert Lincoln (USN)* July 11th, 1903
† August 16th, 1942

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Grid List
Abbott, Gordon* July 16th, 1904
† October 13th, 1973

Abbott, William Edwin* June 29th, 1925
† December 12th, 1944

Abel, Brent Maxwell* May 16th, 1916
† December 26th, 2005

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Abel, Rondo Grayson (USMC)* November 4th, 1920
† June 13th, 1977

Abele, Mannert Lincoln (USN)* July 11th, 1903
† August 16th, 1942

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Abercrombie, Laurence Allen "Abe" (USN)* October 11th, 1897
† May 3rd, 1973

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Abercrombie, William Warner* July 24th, 1914
† June 4th, 1942

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Abernathy, Elmer Paul (USN)* June 14th, 1899
† December 15th, 1990
Plot: Y Row: O Grave: C-1292F

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Abernathy, Louis Martin (USN)* March 20th, 1922
† June 9th, 1996

Acree, Lloyd Edgar* July 31st, 1920
† October 12th, 1942

Adair, Robert Flyn (USN)* September 26th, 1914
† March 21st, 1973

Adams, Samuel* April 10th, 1912
† June 5th, 1942

Ahrens, Edward Henry (USMC)* November 4th, 1919
† August 8th, 1942
Plot: 86 Row: 49 

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Albaugh, Daniel S.* 1926
† March 20th, 1945

Alderman, John Clement* July 31st, 1906
† November 17th, 1976
Plot: G Grave: 5872

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Alexander, Samuel Hugh* May 1st, 1914
† 2011

Allen, Walter Henry "Pappy"* May 17th, 1915
† April 23rd, 1951
Plot: 12 Grave: 1656-4

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Altman, Richard Gustaf* August 28th, 1923
† January 4th, 2009
Plot: 60 Grave: 8911

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Amussen, John Russell* March 23rd, 1921
† May 19th, 1945

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Anderson, Elman Adair (USMC)* May 27th, 1923
† September 3rd, 1944
Plot: S Grave: 190

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Anderson, Ralph R.* August 10th, 1920
† June 27th, 1999

Anderson, William Lovett* April 10th, 1906
† November 27th, 2004

Andreasen, Grant G. (USN)* April 1st, 1916
† May 6th, 1997

Andrews, Charles Herbert* May 14th, 1908
† December 7th, 1981
Plot: 3 Grave: 1977

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Antrim, Richard Nott* December 17th, 1907
† March 8th, 1969
Plot: 35 Grave: 2613

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Aragon, Abel Bidal 'Billie' (USMC)* July 6th, 1926
† July 8th, 1961

Armstrong, John Malet* January 5th, 1900
† December 30th, 1988

Arnold, Herman Franklin (USMC)* March 6th, 1920
† September 14th, 1942

Arsenault, Norman (USMC)* May 22nd, 1926
† July 8th, 1944
Plot: B Grave: 882

Atkins, Barry Kennedy* August 2nd, 1911
† November 15th, 2005
Plot: 66 Grave: 6366

Auman, Joseph Martin* January 4th, 1922
† November 12th, 1942

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Aurand, Evan P.* June 10th, 1917
† June 7th, 1989

Austin, Bernard Lige* December 15th, 1902
† September 21st, 1979
Plot: 3 Grave: 328

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Austin, Marshall H.* June 14th, 1911
† July 19th, 2006

Avdeyev, Mikhail Vasilyevich* September 15th, 1913
† June 22nd, 1979
Row: 9 Grave: 3

Axtell, George C., Jr. "Big Ax"* November 29th, 1920

Sources