The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Lyman Louis Lemnitzer (ASN: 0-12687), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility, in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, from 25 July 1943 to 2 May 1945. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Allied Armies in Italy, formerly Fifteenth Army Group, and as Commanding General, United States Contingent thereof, and later as Deputy Chief of Staff, Allied Force Headquarters, General Lemnitzer played an important role in the planning and execution of carefully prepared plans for the destruction of Axis armies in Sicily and in the defeat and final surrender of the German Army in Italy. Responsible for the supervision of the coordination and issuance of the Allied Armies of operational instruction for the conduct of the campaigns in Sicily and Italy, and for close liaison in the field between the Armies of the Allied Nations, as well as the Partisan Forces working in the rear of the enemy lines, General Lemnitzer by his keen foresight, intimate knowledge of military tactics, impartial judgment and untiring devotion to duty made a major contribution to the success of the coordination of the Allied Armies in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. His outstanding and vitally important management of negotiations for the surrender of the Axis Armies in Italy was a major contribution to the Government of the United States and her Allies.