9 , ▁buried ▁together ▁in ▁Ar ling ton ▁National ▁C emetery . ▁ ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁c itation ▁The ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁takes ▁pleasure ▁in ▁present ing ▁the ▁M ED AL ▁OF ▁H ON OR ▁to ▁C AP TA IN ▁E VER ET T ▁P . ▁PO PE ▁UN IT ED ▁ST AT ES ▁MAR INE ▁C OR PS ▁for ▁service ▁as ▁set ▁forth ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁C IT ATION : ▁ ▁For ▁consp ic uous ▁gall antry ▁and ▁int rep id ity ▁at ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁above ▁and ▁beyond ▁the ▁call ▁of ▁duty ▁while ▁serving ▁as ▁Command ing ▁Officer ▁of ▁Company ▁C , ▁First ▁Battalion , ▁First ▁Mar ines , ▁First ▁Marine ▁Division , ▁during ▁action ▁against ▁enemy ▁Japanese ▁forces ▁on ▁Pe le li u ▁Island , ▁Pal au ▁Group , ▁on ▁ 1 9 – 2 0 ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁Sub ject ed ▁to ▁point - blank ▁can non ▁fire ▁which ▁caused ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties ▁and ▁badly ▁dis organ ized ▁his ▁company ▁while ▁assault ing ▁a ▁ste ep ▁cor al ▁hill , ▁Captain ▁Pope ▁r al lied ▁his ▁men ▁and ▁gall antly ▁led ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁sum mit ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁machine - gun , ▁mort ar , ▁and ▁sni per ▁fire . ▁For ced ▁by ▁w ides p read ▁host ile ▁attack ▁to ▁deploy ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁his ▁company ▁thin ly ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁ground ▁won , ▁and ▁with ▁his ▁machine - g uns ▁out ▁of