The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Commander Robert Wilcox, United States Coast Guard, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Commanding Officer of the U..S.S. Joyce (DE-317) in offensive action against an enemy submarine on 16 April 1944. Proceeding to the area of an attack, he established contact and attached with such accuracy that the first depth charge pattern straddles the submarine, threw the enemy completely out of control and forced him to the surface. He immediately opened very effective gunfire on the U-Boat as its conning tower broke the surface. Combined attacks including concentrated fire from three destroyer escorts and final ramming attach by one of the attacking escorts completed the destruction of the helpless enemy submarine.