The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Mineman Second Class Edgar C. Collier, United States Navy, for heroism on 10 September 1965 in performing diving operations under extremely hazardous conditions in the Mississippi River while searching for a chlorine-laden barge which sank near Baton Rouge, Louisiana during Hurricane BETSY. Petty Officer Collier completed numerous dives despite zero visibility in the turbulent river, which flowed with a six-to seven-knot-current and was filled with surface and subsurface debris. He made positive identification of the sunken contacts, thereby expediting the search operation. His personal courage and sense of duty contributed significantly to the removal of a serious threat to the lives of Baton Route residents.