The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Rear Admiral Aaron Stanton Merrill, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Task Force Commander and concurrently, as Commander Cruiser Division TWELVE during operations against the Japanese in the Solomons area, from April 1943 to March 1944. Rear Admiral Merrill inculcated in the officers and men under his command his own fighting spirit and maintained the ships of his task force at the peak of combat readiness during this period of intense action. Conducting assigned operations with superb tactical skill, he patrolled the Solomons area in search of enemy ships and skillfully coordinated the functions of the various units under his direction. He delivered an effective night bombardment against the enemy airfield at Munda on 12 July, rendering decisive support toward the capture of that important enemy base; and executed a similar attack against the Buka-Bonis area the night of 12 December.