The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Aviation Ordnanceman First Class Peter Joseph Burkart (Burkhart), United States Naval Reserve, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States during the invasion of the Island of Sicily. Aviation Ordnanceman First Class Burkart, with great coolness and skill and with complete disregard for his own safety, in the underground Italian Naval Petroleum installation at Port Empedocle, Sicily, for three days, 21 to 23 July 1943, and, with only the light of picket flashlights, assisted in discovery, disarming and removing fifteen large demolition charges and a great number of booby traps in the Italian Naval Fuel Oil installations of the Port of Palermo, Sicily. This was largely accomplished in tunnels, partially flooded with oil and water, 50 feet underground, with only the light from pocket flashlights and in extremely cramped space. The very hazardous task, carried out with such meticulous care and professional skill, resulted in the preservation of facilities of great importance to our forces. The extraordinary ability and outstanding devotion to duty displayed by Aviation Ordnanceman First Class Burkart reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.