From: Lieut-General Sir Oliver Lease, Bt. 
                          KCB, CBE, DSO                     
 
                               240                          
 
                             Personal                       
 
                         27 February 1945                   
 
                                                            
 
                      My Dear Mr. President.                
 
      At a simple ceremony here, General Dan Sultan invested me last 
      week with the insignia of Commander of the Legion of Merit, which 
             you were good enough to confer upon me.        
 
      I would like you to know my deep appreciation of the honor you 
      have done me. I particularly value the gracious terms of the 
      citation, with its generous references to the Eighth Army' s 
                          achievements.                     
 
      This decoration will always remind me of my happy associations 
      with American Commanders and troops in this War, both as Commander 
      of the Eighth Army and in my present Command. In Sicily we operated 
      closely with General Bradley's Corps, and in the 1943 Italian 
      Campaign, the partnership between General Mark Clark's Fifth 
           Army and ourselves was close and successful.     
 
      With General Dan Sultan and his N.C.A.C. Command our relations 
      are equally happy. His Forces have done a splendid job in opening 
      the Burma Road and he is now exerting a powerful influence on 
    our battle for Mandalay, by his Southward drive on Lashi