The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Commander Michael P. McCraw, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as aircraft commander aboard Coast Guard HH-65 helicopters from 29 August to 3 September 2005 during Hurricane KATRINA rescue operations. Demonstrating exemplary aeronautical skills, Commander McCraw flew in this unforgiving environment for 19 flight hours, including 16 at night. On 29 august, Commander McCraw battled tropical force winds and low visibility to respond to a faint MAYDAY. Locating a shrimp vessel battered and pushed nearly one mile inland, Commander McCraw threaded the rescue basket through a maze of branches and ship’s rigging to flawlessly hoist three survivors to safety from a hover 100 feet higher than normal. On 31 August, Commander McCraw, using night vision goggles, undertook an extremely challenging 100 foot hover amid power lines and antennae to lower the rescue basket without a rescue swimmer to panicked survivors on a balcony. Taking the still connected rescue basket inside the house, out of sight of the aircraft, an unknown number of survivors embarked. Upon retrieval, three desperate survivors huddled in the basket. With the unexpected additional weight, the helicopter began an uncontrolled decent. Demonstrating remarkable airmanship and decisiveness, Commander McCraw expertly transitioned into forward flight while simultaneously recovering the rescue basket and avoiding injury to the exposed survivors as they cleared obstacles by mere feet. On the night of 3 September, Commander McCraw located 20 survivors clinging to the rooftop of a flooded school bus. Displaying extraordinary courage, Commander MC CRAW guided his co-pilot into the hoist area, hovering above wires with rotor blades only feet from a billboard and while the cockpit of his HH-65 filled with smoke and ash from a nearby fire. During the third recovery, his aircraft experienced a hoist failure. With survivors hanging beneath the aircraft, he calmly directed his crew in the proper action and expertly navigated six miles in reduced visibility among unlit towers to safely deliver the survivors. Commander McCraw’s actions, skill, and valor were instrumental in saving 51 lives. 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.