John Hulick, MoM2c, is Awarded Silver Star for Pacific Duty

A Sampson trained bluejacket, John Hulick, MoM2c, of Auburn received the Silver Star Medal for "gallantry and intrepidity" in action from Commodore Harry A. Badt, USN, Center Commander, at the "Mission Accomplished" broadcast Wednesday evening, 4 April, in Sullivan Auditorium.

Hulick, whose exploits were dramatized on the show, served aboard a small ship in the Pacific, completing many patrols into enemy territory. Patrols in which he participated sank or destroyed enemy barges and damaged Japanese shore installations.

The citation accompanying the medal referred to the action for which he received the award, as follows: "On one night his boat suffered a direct hit which started a serious fire. He immediately went to the scene of the fire and made all possible efforts to control it. When his boat was abandoned, he allowed the weaker swimmers among the crew members the only available life raft. His refusal of assistance strengthened the morale of the entire crew."

The 32 year old machinist mate entered the Navy in April 1943, and, after completing recruit training at Sampson, attended Diesel school at Richmond, Va., and P. T.  boat school at Melville, R.I. He shipped out to the Pacific in October 1944, and returned to this country 11 months later.