The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Boatswain’s Mate Third Class Ira A. Bitner, United States Coast Guard Reserve, for heroism on the afternoon of 27 May 1974 while serving at Coast Guard Station Execution Rocks in Long Island Sound, New York, engaged in the perilous rescue of two men from a small fishing boat which capsized, with three persons on board, on a shoal off the southwest end of Execution Rocks. Petty Officer Bitner, then a seaman, witnessed the accident; immediately alerted another watch stander of the catastrophe; launched the station small boat and skillfully proceeded to the scene through 25-knot winds and heavy 6-foot seas. As he arrived on scene, he observed one of the three victims being washed away from the capsized vessel in the choppy seas. Quickly throwing life preservers to the two men seen clinging to the overturned fishing boat, he maneuvered the station boat toward the third distressed man who disappeared beneath the water before he could reach him. When his search of the immediate area proved futile, Petty Officer Bitner, cognizant of the debilitating effects of the elements on the other two victims, hastily returned to the capsized boat and single-handedly pulled the semiconscious men from the frigid water; transported them to shore, and then returned to the search area to continue his efforts. Shortly thereafter other Coast Guard units and civilian units arrived on scene to join in the search for the missing victim. Subsequently, Petty Officer Bitner was forced to return to the station, after an extended search, due to a dwindling fuel supply, an inoperative radio, and a cracked hull damaged by the force of the seas. Petty Officer Bitner demonstrated remarkable initiative, exceptional fortitude, and daring in spite of imminent personal danger in this rescue mission. His unselfish actions, courage, and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United Sates Coast Guard.