The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Captain Charles Doyle Leffler, United States Navy, 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. OMAHA, for his successful campaign against blockade runners and enemy raiders in the South Atlantic. He intercepted and sank the German blockade runners RIO GRANDE and BURGENLAND on 4 – 5 January 1944.