The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Commander [then Lieutenant Commander] Henry B. Taliaferro, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as commander of a landing craft group prior to and during the Italian invasion in 1944. Commander Taliaferro developed a high degree of efficiency in the group under his command and skillfully discharged his troops despite concentrated enemy opposition with minimum damage to the assault craft and injury to personnel.