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 Commodore Lee Payne Johnson, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States by his outstanding work in training both Army and Navy personnel for our amphibious operations in the Southern Europe area during World War II. Commodore Johnson conducted intensive research for improving various landing craft and weapons.