In the name of the President of the United States, the Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the Presidential Unit Citation to the

USS LSM(R) 193

for participation in the following engagement: The action off Okinawa on Radar Picket Station Fifteen on May 11, 1945, for services as set forth in the following

CITATION:

"For extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese aircraft in one of the most outstanding actions of World War II. While on Radar Picket Station Fifteen off Okinawa, engaged in a task far exceeding that for which she was designed, as a member of the task unit composed of the destroyers, USS H.W. Hadley and USS Evans, and the LSC(L) 82, 83, and 84, she contributed greatly in repelling the overwhelming onslaught of one hundred and fifty-six Japanese suicide planes, all of which were destroyed; the LSM(R) 193H.W. Hadley had been overwhelmed by enemy planes, abandoned by more than two-thirds of her crew and had been burning fiercely and exploding for fifteen minutes with complete loss of power, the LSM(R) 193, disregarding all hazards, courageously went alongside and saved this destroyer by putting out the fire, and in addition, rescued the majority of the crew and towed the stricken ship safely to port. Her courageous determination and effort added to and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey