The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Chief Gunner’s Mate Howard H. Paine, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States during the occupation of French Morocco, 8 – 11 November 1942. While attached to the U.S.S. BERNADOU (DD-153) during the assault on Safi, French Morocco, Chief Gunner’s Mate Paine ingeniously devised a method of using a K-gun to throw a mooring line ashore. As the ship approached the harbor, he supervised gun batteries with outstanding skill in the face of heavy fire from opposing guns.