THE TERRIBLE STORY OF THE U.S. NAVY COMMANDER ARTHUR MURRAY PRESTON OF WASHINGTON.

 U.S. Navy Commander  Arthur Murray Preston of Washington, DC, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions on September 16,  1944 near Halmahera Island in Indonesia.

Preston attended Phillips Academy in 1931, Yale University, and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1938. He was a practicing attorney when he joined the Navy in September 1940. He was stationed at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, and participated in the recovery operations.

By September 16, 1944, he was serving as a lieutenant in Torpedo Boat Squadron 33. On that day, Preston commanded two PT boats in the successful rescue of a downed Navy pilot in Wasile Bay, Halmahera Island, in Indonesia, despite fire from Japanese forces.

For his actions on September 16, 1944, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted to lieutenant commander. Preston reached the rank of commander before leaving the Navy. He died January 7, 1968, at age 54 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.

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On this day lost, but never forgotten... Harlan C. Rilk was born on October 15, 1945, in Nanticoke, PA. His home of record is Dover, NJ.

He was one of five siblings. His family moved to Dover when he was eight years old. He grew up on the South side of Dover and was one of the Thompson Avenue Boys who hung out near Brezowski's Store. 

He attended Dover Public Schools and graduated from Dover High School. After graduation, he worked as an offset press operator for Dairypak Corp in Morris Township. Harlan was a car enthusiast and was very proud of his Pontiac Grand Prix. In his spare time, he loved to shoot pool and cruise Blackwell Street and the Dover Shopping Center.

He enlisted into the US Marine Corps in March 1966, and attained the rank of Corporal (CPL). He completed basic training at Parris Island, SC. He was sent to Vietnam with B Company, 4th Platoon, 3rd Regiment, 1st Marine Division

On September 16, 1967, Rilk was driving a vehicle and ended up in a minefield. One of the vehicle tracks detonated a land mine, and left the vehicle unmovable. While Rilk volunteered to help find a way out of the minefield, another land mine was detonated and Rilk was mortally wounded. At the time, he was part of Operation "Dragon Fire" in the Batangan Peninsula.

He is buried in Locust Hill Cemetery in Dover, NJ.

Rilk was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Rilk, his sister, Sharon and three brothers, Carl, John and Private Albert Rilk, also a Marine.

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