The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Rear Admiral Frank Akers (NSN: 0-57435), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Head of the Radio and Electrical Branch, Engineering Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, from December 1942 to March 1945. Confronted with urgent fleet requirements for new electronic equipment for naval aircraft, he displayed extraordinary administrative ability beyond the requirements of his position in executing programs which resulted in rapid availability to vastly improved systems for communication, identification, search and attack. Through his efforts, the emphasis in engineering of electronic weapons was shifted from design of individual equipment to provision of smoothly integrated systems. As a result, the problems of installation, operation and maintenance of complex electronic weapons were substantially reduced. His vigorous advocacy was primarily responsible for universal use of VHF equipment, which provided a significant advance in the efficiency of fleet communications; for adoption of the principle of pre-set communication.