The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Commander Robert F. Freitag, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from 1949 to 1959, in connection with the Naval and National Guided Missile Programs. Exercising unusual technical ability, Commander Freitag has achieved a national reputation as a leader in the fields of guided missiles, rocketry, ranges and space technology. Possessing an extraordinary ability to conceive and execute large problems, he succeeded in developing and “selling” the Fleet Ballistic Missile concept and program to the Navy and the Secretary of Defense, and participated in the establishment of this weapon system and the Pacific Missile Range.