| THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY |
| WASHINGTON |
| The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the |
| PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION |
| to the |
| UNITED STATES SHIP STERETT |
| for service as set forth in the following |
|
CITATION: |
| "For extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy Japanese Task Force during the Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of November 12-13, 1942. Fighting boldly and with determination against units of the powerful enemy Fleet intent on bombarding our airfield in Guadalcanal, the U.S.S STERETT successfully engaged three Japanese vessels at close range during the thirty-four minutes of furious action. Scoring numerous hits on an enemy light cruiser, she then closed range to 3000 yards and fired a full salvo of torpedoes to cause two large explosions and assist in sinking a battleship. When an enemy destroyer was sighted at 1000 yards from her starboard bow, she immediately took it under fire and, with two torpedoes and two five-inch salvoes, exploded and sank the vessel before it could open fire. With her after section severely damaged and burning and with both after guns disabled as the remaining enemy ships concentrated their gunfire on her, she fought desperately to control the damage and succeeded in retiring from the battle area under her own power. A gallant fighting ship, superbly handled by her officers and men, the STERETT rendered invaluable service in defeating a major enemy attack at this point in the Solomon Islands Campaign." |
| For the President, |
| /Signed/
James Forrestal |
|
Secretary of the Navy, |
Honor those shipmates who gave their lives during the Third Battle of Savo Island November 13, 1942.