The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Commander James A. Beauchemin, United States Naval Reserve, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States during the period of mobilization of LION ONE, at U.S. Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, from July 1942 to February 1943, and later with U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 6 at Espiritu Santo from February 1943 to October 1943. By his service as Sanitation and Laboratory Office of LION ONE, while at U.S. Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, and later with U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 6 at Espiritu Santo, he contributed greatly to the very low rate of sickness and death in the organization by his industry and knowledge of general and technical sanitation problems. He inaugurated sanitation measures which were later found to be extremely valuable in preventing an epidemic of dengrel malaria and intestinal diseases. During repeated enemy bombings of the base he remained calm and effective, a worthy example to others. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.