The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Captain Robert Rutherford Morris Emmet, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States, as Commander of the Center Attack Group of the Western Naval Task Force in the landing operations in North Africa in November 1942. Captain Emmet was assigned the duty of capturing the town of Fedala and an important airfield nearby and skillfully conducted all unites under his command to their stations for the attack on the town in complete darkness on 7 November. In the early morning of 8 November, he landed troops and equipment in Fedala, and in the face of persistent fire, the Center Attack Group captured the shore batteries. By early afternoon, all organized hostile resistance in the vicinity had ceased.