The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit to Brigadier General Webb Duane Sawyer (MCSN: 0-7847), United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, from 20 May to 20 July 1969, and as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, from 13 April 1968 to 19 May 1969 and from 21 July to 1 August 1969. During this period, Brigadier General Sawyer displayed outstanding judgment, executive skill, and professional competence in the development and implementation of Marine Corps tasks associated with the combat commitment in Southeast Asia. He improved and refined the Marine Corps program for exploiting professional knowledge gained from experience in Vietnam and incorporated it into Marine Corps doctrine and training. He instituted a mobilization reporting system designed to identify and eliminate potential mobilization problems. Displaying keen judgment and innovative skill, he revised current plans and instituted new means of ensuring that the Marine Corps will continue, by virtue of its structure and readiness, to meet its commitments in support of national policy in the coming years. Many dynamic and progressive improvements in Marine Corps training which will have significant and lasting benefits for the Marine Corps were implemented under Brigadier General Sawyer’s direction. Displaying a keen understanding of future Marine Corps needs, he sponsored basic requirements studies designed to determine overall integrated requirements in areas of tactical mobility and supporting arms. These studies will provide supporting rationale for future planning, programming, and budgetary actions. Superior performance of duties as typified above was the hallmark of Brigadier General Sawyer’s career in accomplishing broad and diverse tasks in both combat and other assignments, and highlighted the culmination of more than twenty-eight years of honorable and dedicated Marine Corps service. By his extraordinary devotion to duty and his outstanding professional abilities, Brigadier General Sawyer reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.