The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Philip Bausche Brown (NSN: 0-104955), United States Naval Reserve, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. BORIE (DD-215), from June until 15 November 1943. During his five months as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. BORIE, Lieutenant Brown, by constant drills and carefully supervised, foresighted training, brought his crew to a state of maximum efficiency as an effective fighting unit. With rare foresight, he trained the crew and modified the ship’s life lines so that effective gunfire could be brought to bear on an enemy in an area which previously had been a blanked sector, His careful training culminated in a virtual hand-to-hand action with an enemy submarine in the early morning of 1 November. By virtue of its previous schooling and indoctrination, the entire crew functioned in the most meritorious manner, performing all duties instinctively and with a minimum of orders from the bridge. During the long drawn out action he furnished the Commanding Officer with all information and assistance required to press the action. In addition, at intervals when the ships were in close contact, he manned a sub-machine gun, and despite the enemy counterfire directed at the bridge, his accurate fire assisted in clearing exposed personnel from the deck of the submarine. Lieutenant Brown’s efficient conduct and inspiring example in operational and administrative capacities aided materially in the victory of his ship over a determined, skillful enemy, and in the efficient manner in which the entire Task Force carried out its difficult missions.