The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Captain James Walter Whitfield, 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 Amphibious Training Base, Camp Bradford, Virginia, from March 1943 until October 1944. Captain Whitfield organized, equipped and efficiently operated facilities for the training of Army combat teams and naval landing craft crews of all types and of joint amphibious training schools. He was responsible in large measure for the high state of readiness of these troops and units in the assaults on Sicily, Salerno and in the Pacific.