The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Boatswain’s Mate Second Class Paul J. Dupuis, United States Coast Guard, for heroism on the night of 30 August 1991 while serving as coxswain of Utility Boat CG-41439. During this period Petty Officer Dupuis was engaged in maintaining a safety zone around a barge being used as a platform for fireworks display at Northeast Harbor, Maine. During the display, sparks from the launched fireworks ignited stockpiled pyrotechnics on the deck of barge, resulting in a tremendous explosion. The explosion forced three persons into the water; another person was apparently unconscious and was ablaze, and a fifth person remained on the barge, sheltered behind a 55-gallon drum. Petty Officer Dupuis quickly and skillfully maneuvered the Utility Boat alongside the barge so his crewmembers could begin applying water to numerous fires on the deck, recover the three persons in the water, and attend to the two persons who remained on the barge. With the survivors safely onboard, Petty Officer Dupuis began backing the Utility Boat away from the barge when a second, more powerful explosion occurred, scattering burning debris and shrapnel in all directions. The force of the explosion disabled the boat’s radar and cabin lights, dislodged the radio and clock from their mounting brackets, and filled the cabin’s interior with smoke. Maintaining control of his damaged boat, Petty Officer Dupuis successfully transported the five survivors to Northeast Harbor, where medical authorities were waiting. Petty Officer Dupuis 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.