The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Boatswain’s Mate First Class Morgan Dudley, United States Coast Guard, for heroism on 22 July 1993 while serving as Number One Nozzelman onboard U.S.C.G.C. KODIAK ISLAND. While transiting the Gulf of Mexico, Kodiak Island experienced a Major engine room fire. Petty Officer Dudley’s efforts were almost certainly the critical element in extinguishing the blaze and saving the ship. He made numerous efforts to secure a runaway main diesel engine that was thwarting efforts to put out the fire, including numerous trips into the burning engine room to try to shut off the engine manually and secure its fuel supply. It was later estimated that Petty Officer Dudley was in the burning engine room for at least five to six minutes while diesel continued to run and the engine room continued to burn. When nothing else yielded success, showing total disregard for his personal safety, Petty Officer Dudley physically climbed onto the burning engine to reach the kill cable. This single act enabled the crew to put out the fire and save KODIAK ISLAND, and likely everyone else who was onboard. Petty Officer Dudley demonstrated remarkable initiative, exceptional fortitude and daring in spite of imminent personal danger in this emergency. His courage and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.