The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant William E. Judge, Jr., United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States during World War II. Cargo officer during the occupation of Rendova Island under extremely hazardous conditions, Lieutenant Judge succeeded in unloading supplies, ammunition and equipment at the unusual rate of 157 tons per hours. When his ship was torpedoed and dead in the water, he supervised the shoring of all bulkheads aft of the damage; directed the manning of anti-aircraft defenses by members of the damage control parties after all regular gunnery personnel had left the vessel, and repelled a dive bombing attack.