The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Commander David W. Canham, Jr., United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Officer-in-Charge of the U.S. Naval Air Facility, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica and as Executive Officer, United States Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (Special) during Operation DEEP FREEZE I and II from 20 December 1955 to 22 January 1957. During a period of total darkness, Lieutenant Commander Canham was in charge of the successful construction of a sea-ice runway and associated facilities which were necessary for the establishment of the United States Scientific Station at the geographic South Pole in connection with the International Geophysical Year.