The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Commodore Harry Asher Badt (NSN: 0-7224), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Commanding Officer and then Commandant of the Naval Training Station and the Naval Training Center, and later as Commander, Naval Training Center, Sampson, New York, from 16 September 1942 to 1 November 1945. Commodore Badt organized and established the Naval Training Station at Sampson, New York, displaying unusual initiative and foresight in planning a new activity and placing it in service in the shortest possible period at a time when the urgent needs for newly trained enlisted personnel in large number for the fleet were highly critical. He manifested unusual leadership in a continually expanding station and administered the new training center with outstanding efficiency, coordinating the many and complex activities of the Training Center over a period of these years. His sound judgment, superb planning, determined leadership and efficient administration of a very large and complicated training center were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.