The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Rear Admiral James McCredie Irish, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as supervisor of shipbuilding at New York and director of the material procurement effort during the program to speed up destroyer-escort production in 1943. Admiral Irish displayed skill and expert technical judgment. His brilliant administrative ability contributed to the accomplishment of this tremendous shipbuilding task.