The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit (Army Award) to Captain Prentiss Peck Bassett (NSN: 0-4733), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from July 1941 to June 1945, as the Permanent Navy Member of the Joint Army-Navy Planning Committee, which met at Headquarters, Eastern Defense Command and its predecessor organizations during the critical period before and after the outbreak of war, participating as a principal in the formulation and implementation of important joint Army-Navy policies, plans and projects. By his vigor, skill, and unfailing tact, he was in large part personally responsible for maintaining cordial relations, close cooperation, and mutual understanding, and for the rapid solution of the numerous complex and delicate problems presented. He supplemented this by consistently using all means at his disposal to secure the wholehearted cooperation with Army agencies of all Navy agencies in the North Atlantic Naval Coastal Frontier, the Eastern Sea Frontier, and the Atlantic Fleet, thus contributing to a marked degree to the effective functioning of Army Commands charged with Coastal Frontier Defense. Captain Bassett has rendered conspicuous services of the greatest value to his country in a manner reflecting highest credit upon the United States Navy.