The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Aviation Survivalman Second Class Michael C. Fish, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement in aerial flight while serving as rescue swimmer aboard Coast Guard HH-60J helicopter 6042 on the night of 22 December 1997. Petty Officer Fish was engaged in the dramatic rescue of a survivor from the 36-foot Fishing Vessel CALLISTO that sank in an Alaskan gale 40 miles south of Sitka, Alaska. The lone survivor was stranded in a life raft being blown towards the treacherous rocky coastline and pounding surf. As the helicopter approached the raft it became clear that the severity of the turbulence would make maintaining a stable hover impossible. The 20-foot waves rebounded off the nearby rocks causing a doubly confused sea state, which violently tossed the life raft. As the crew struggled to deliver the rescue basket to the survivor, brutal downdrafts from the nearby cliffs repeatedly drove the helicopter down to within 40-feet of the raging sea. ON three separate occasions, Petty Officer Fish saved the helicopter and crew by commanding “UP! UP! UP!” when he noticed the helicopter plummeting toward the sea. The rescue basket blew wildly behind the helicopter in gale force winds. Petty Officer Fish bravely manhandled the hoist cable, preventing it from fraying against the helicopter airframe and allowing the flight mechanic to concentrate fully on delivering the rescue basket to the survivor. After an exhausting 50-minute struggle against severe turbulence and blowing sleet, and with the survivor now only yards away from the rocks, Petty Officer Fish and the flight mechanic miraculously placed the rescue basket to the rafts entrance, allowing the survivor to leap into the rescue basket where he was hoisted to safety. Petty Officer Fish’s actions and skill were instrumental to the success of the rescue. His courage, judgment, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.