The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel George Harold Baker (ASN: 0-334654), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States from 12 July 1940 to 25 October 1945, as Chief of the Manpower Division of National Headquarters of the Selective Service System, and in other positions of great responsibility. As Chief of the Printing Section of the Army and Navy Selective Service Group, Office of Assistant Chief of the War Department General Staff, G-1, Colonel Baker distinguished himself by the outstanding foresight, initiative, and energy with which he undertook the tremendous task of preparing the forms, regulations, and instructions required to initiate administration of the Selective Training and Service Act. Under is direction more than 80,000,000 forms were printed and distributed to 120,000 separate registration places with the utmost efficiency and dispatch, making possible the registration of more than 16,000,000 men for the first peace-time conscription for military service in American history just thirty days after the Selective Training and Service Act had been signed by the President. From 12 February 1941 until 26 June 1941, Colonel Baker served with distinction as Chief of the Appointments and Personnel Division of National Headquarters of the Selective Service System, in which capacity he was responsible for supervising all actions required for the recruitment, appointment, and administration of more than 200,000 compensated and uncompensated personnel required for the operation of the largest manpower procurement program in the history of the country. With characteristic energy, initiative, and efficiency, he successfully organized a territorial Selective Service System in Alaska and supervised the first registration under the Selective Service Act in that Territory. As Chief of the Manpower Division of National Headquarters of the Selective Service System, he was responsible for directing the registration, classification, selection, and delivery of men to the armed forces. So efficiently was this responsibility discharged that by 1 September 1945, 46,040,120 men had been registered under the Selective Service Act, and 14,673,089 men had been furnished to the armed forces by the States and Territories of the United States. By his skillful and judicious administration of deferment policies, an adequate number of men were deferred to permit industry, agriculture, and the armed forces to meet the ever-increasing demands for the production of arms, ammunition, ships, planes, food, and supplies of all kinds required to support our own armed forces as well as those of our allies, and to protect the health and safety of our civilian population. Colonel Baker was necessarily custodian of knowledge concerning many of the top secret projects of the Navy Department and the War Department, such as the Manhattan District; and his judicious and unfailing cooperation in handling requests of the Navy Department and War Department for the deferment of men needed by these projects contributed immeasurably to their success. Colonel Baker’s service in all of his important assignments was consistently superior and was marked by indefatigable energy, keen intelligence, and unlimited loyalty and devotion to duty; and his distinguished service contributed materially to the rapid and efficient mobilization of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and to the ultimate success of their war missions. The exceptionally distinguished and meritorious manner in which he performed his duties was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.