 As commanding officer of USS "Leary" (DD-158), Commander Kyes was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for "extraordinary heroism" during action against German submarines in the North Atlantic 23 December 1943.After his ship had received three torpedo hits and was sinking, he gave the order to abandon ship.As he prepared to leave "Leary", he checked to see that none of his men remained on board and spied a kitchen mess boy whose life jacket was torn and useless.