The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Captain (Retired), [then Lieutenant Commander] Harry H. Keith, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Commanding Officer of U.S.S. PERRY (DD-844), in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands area on 10 December 1941. Although wounded when PERRY sustained a direct bomb hit, Captain Keith retained active command of his ship and supervised the removal of the many other casualties. In addition, he organized bucket brigades and succeeded in bringing the fires under control. Later, when the wooden pier to which PERRY was moored began to burn, and explosives from a near-by ship threatened his own ship, Captain Keith ordered the mooring lines cast off which allowed his craft to drift clear of the pier where it was towed out of danger by another ship.