The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit to Rear Admiral Clifford H. Duerfeldt, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from September 1961 to May 1964 as Commander Fleet Air Hawaii and Commander Barrier Force Pacific. As Fleet Air Commander under the Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Duerfeldt conducted numerous operational readiness inspections of Pacific Fleet attack aircraft carriers and was instrumental in the maintenance of a high state of combat capability of aviation units deployed to the U.S. SEVENTH Fleet. As Barrier Force Commander under the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, he developed and directed many advanced procedures and techniques for the detection of enemy penetration.