sentences:  He died at his home in Reston, Virginia, on February 1, 2001, of a heart attack and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.The NAVY CROSS is presented to 
  RALPH L. HOUSER
  LIEUTENANT COLONEL, U.S. MARINE CORPS
  
  for extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the Third Battalion, Third Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on enemy-held Guam, Marianas Islands, 21 through July 23, 1944.Realizing the absolute necessity of clearing the high ground in his sector for the protection of the beachhead, and deprived by casualties of sufficient troop leaders for his troop units, Lieutenant Colonel Houser personally led elements of his Battalion in continuous assaults against enemy positions, exposing himself time after time to hostile fire.