The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Colonel Sammy T. Adams (MCSN: 0-60501), United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from July 1968 through July 1970 while serving with Marine Corps Development and Education Command, Quantico, Virginia. During this period, Lieutenant Colonel Adams consistently displayed exceptional talent in leadership and management in each task assigned, providing the Marine Corps with a series of extremely effective, singularly well-managed and brilliantly presented concepts holding immediate and future benefit for the United States and the Marine Corps. Upon his initial assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Adams expertly designed and produced a Marine Corps Wide Orientation Conference, which gave Corps representatives a broad view of Marine Corps’ policies, future plans and material developments. This outstanding contribution set the tone for the multifaceted efforts that followed. In January of 1969, Lieutenant Colonel Adams, using his unexcelled knowledge and abilities, prepared a far-reaching study which made even more professional the Marine Corps extension courses and provided a base for establishing the Marine Corps’ Continuous Officer Professional Education Program (COPE). Continuing his valuable work, Lieutenant Colonel Adams then contributed his expertise in creating the initial COPE programs. Among those courses were an Amplification and Application Phase, which continually validates program functions, and an Effective Communication Course which has been accepted throughout the services as a guide for promoting interracial communications and preventing drug abuse. By his outstanding leadership, judgment, and inspiring devotion to duty, Lieutenant Colonel Adams upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.