The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Commander Louis G. Johnson, United States Naval Reserve, 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. LCT (5) 125 during the invasion of Italy in 1944. Lieutenant Commander Johnson skillfully beached his ship and, despite heavy enemy fire, drove and pushed off his tanks and equipment, retracting and beaching at new points five times within an hour in order to confuse the enemy.