The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Electrician’s Mate First Class Lavelas A. Luckey, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary heroism on the morning of 4 March 2009 while stationed at Surface Forces Logistics Center, Baltimore, Maryland, in the rescue of a five-year-old girl trapped in a burning vehicle at the scene of an automobile accident. While driving to work, Petty Officer Luckey noticed a column of black smoke and traffic stopped on the road near his workplace. Diverting from his path, he approached the disturbance and stopped approximately fifty yards from the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Recognizing the potential for injury and that no emergency vehicles had yet responded to the scene, he quickly surveyed the situation for any needed response. He noticed that a car was partially pinned beneath a roll-back truck and that flames were emanating from beneath the hood. Petty Officer Luckey asked the onlookers if everyone was alright and learned that there was someone trapped in the half-crushed car. Without hesitation Petty Officer Luckey ran to the burning car, pried the driver’s door open and was attempting to assist the driver when he heard a child’s voice coming from the back seat. Realizing that the driver was unresponsive, he redirected his efforts to rescuing the child. After struggling with the damaged safety seat, he extricated the injured girl while an Anne Arundel County Police Officer removed the driver from the car. Within two minutes of the rescue, the fuel tanks exploded and the car and truck cab were engulfed in flames. Acting on instinct and applying his training as an emergency medical technician, Petty Officer Luckey assumed great personal risk to save the life of a child, who survived the accident with minor injuries. Petty Officer Luckey demonstrated remarkable initiative, exceptional fortitude and daring in spite of imminent personal danger. His courage and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.