The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Commodore Halert C. Shepheard, United States Coast Guard, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Chief of Merchant Marine Inspection Division, Office of Operations, United States Coast Guard, from March 1942 to June 1945. Uncompromising in his devotion to duty and tireless in his efforts, Commodore Shepheard, by his resourceful initiative and judgment, contributed essentially to the development of an efficient war-time United States Merchant Marine for the transportation of troops, war-time personnel and war cargoes to all fronts of the world on merchant and troop ships with a minimum loss of ships, passengers, operating personnel or cargoes, thereby serving the interests of his country to the best of his fine abilities throughout the most critical period in the history of the Nation.