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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
Haberman, Roger Anthony* March 17th, 1916
† February 2nd, 2005

Haines, Richard A.* April 28th, 1903
† November 30th, 1942

Hale, Cornelius Clay* January 15th, 1919

Hall, Robert Kierr "Bob"* November 21st, 1895
† January 1st, 1962

Halsey, Delbert Wayne* December 8th, 1919

Halsey, William Frederick "Bull" Jr.* October 30th, 1882
† August 16th, 1959
Plot: 2 Grave: 1184

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Hamberger, DeWitt C.E. (US Navy)* April 2nd, 1903
† July 1st, 1974
Plot: 6 Row: ES Grave: 9164

Hamm, Andrew Britte† July 28th, 1945

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Hank, William Edwin* September 25th, 1902
† November 14th, 1942

Hankins, Joseph F.† October 3rd, 1944

Hanlon, Byron Hall* September 27th, 1899

Hanneken, Herman Henry "Hard-Hearted"* June 23rd, 1893
† August 23rd, 1986

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Hanson, Eugene Raymond "Gene"* May 16th, 1917
† December 30th, 2015
Plot: 52 Grave: 650

Hanson, Robert Murray* February 4th, 1920
† February 3rd, 1944

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Harding, Warren G.* November 25th, 1942
† June 16th, 1944

Harlfinger II, Frederick Joseph "Fritz"* September 14th, 1913
† December 21st, 1993
Plot: 8 Grave: 10225

Harmon, Leonard Roy* January 21st, 1917

Harris, Cecil Elwood† December 2nd, 1981

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Harris, William Frederick* March 6th, 1918
† December 7th, 1950

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Hart, Franklin Augustus* September 16th, 1894
† June 22nd, 1967
Plot: 7 Grave: 8264

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Hartwig, Glenn Roy* March 30th, 1902

Haschke, Marvin Milton* December 5th, 1916
† July 9th, 2002

Hathaway, Amos Townsend* December 5th, 1913
† August 26th, 1996

Hayler, Robert Ward (Sr.)* June 7th, 1891
† November 17th, 1980

Headley, James G.* May 17th, 1911
† November 29th, 1996
Plot: LN Row: 116 Grave: 5-9C

Heilmann, Louis Andrew* June 13th, 1924
† February 6th, 1995

Henderson, Lofton R.* May 24th, 1903
† June 4th, 1942
Plot: 4 

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Hesson, James Frank* November 21st, 1906

Hewitt, Henry Kent* February 11th, 1887
† September 15th, 1972
Row: 2 Grave: 209

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Higgins, John Martin* August 13th, 1899

Hilsky, Robert Joseph* September 27th, 1916

Hirshfield, James Albert* July 30th, 1902
† May 16th, 1993

Hodges, Flournoy Glen* January 22nd, 1919
† June 4th, 1942

Hogaboom, William Frederick* September 1915
† December 14th, 1944

Hogan, Thomas Wesley, Jr.* April 11th, 1909
† January 8th, 1985

Hoge, Charles Vernon* November 22nd, 1922
† December 29th, 2002

Hole, Legare Romig* January 1st, 1917

Hood, Rudolph B. "Rudy"* January 12th, 1923
† August 10th, 2019

Hoover, Gilbert Corwin* July 25th, 1894
† January 8th, 1980

Horenburger, Carl Herman (USN)* February 27th, 1915
† January 31st, 2000

Hourihan, John Joseph* 1902
† 1984

Howard, Samuel Lutz* March 8th, 1891
† October 12th, 1960
Plot: 2 Grave: 3443-3

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Howe, Hamilton Wilcox* January 16th, 1904
† April 1st, 1993

Howell, Donald S.* April 14th, 1925
† November 30th, 2009

Hudspeth, Daniel Wayne† September 24th, 1942

Hughes, John Nelson* November 28th, 1909
† October 22nd, 1989
Plot: JJ Row: 15 Grave: 3

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Hungerford, Joseph Floyd "Bee"* November 20th, 1920
† April 26th, 2008

Hunt, George P.† July 6th, 1991

Hurst, Edward Hunter* December 18th, 1916
† September 6th, 1997

Hutto, Ernest Elery* July 14th, 1922
† August 20th, 2011

Hyman, Willford Milton* August 16th, 1901
† May 7th, 1942

Sources