The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Machinery Technician Second Class Gregory E. Miller, United States Coast Guard, for heroism on the afternoon of 3 December 1989 while rescuing a victim who had been swept off the top of Crescent City Harbor Outer Breakwater onto the rocks below by 18-foot swells breaking over the jetty. Overhearing a transmission for assistance, Petty Officer Miller and a fellow crewmember proceeded to the scene in a 19-foot rigid-hull-inflatable smallboat dispatched from U.S.C.G.C. EDISTO (WPB 1313). Arriving on scene, the crew spotted the injured victim trapped and clinging desperately to the rocks halfway down the inside of the jetty. The smallboat could approach no closer than 25 feet without being swamped by waves rolling into the harbor or risking almost certain capsizing from the 6-foot waves breaking on the jetty. Petty Officer Miller dove into the treacherous water and swam to the jetty. Water engulfed him with each breaking wave as he climbed up over the rocks. Upon reaching the stranded victim, Petty Officer Miller shielded him from the constant pounding of the surf and repeatedly pulled him up from between the rocks. Suffering from severe trauma and hypothermia, the victim’s will to survive appeared to fade. Undaunted, Petty Officer Miller continually provided encouragement, reassuring him that he would soon be safe. When there was a lull in the waves, Petty Officer Miller helped the injured man off the jetty and pulled him to the smallboat where he was taken aboard and returned to shore and safety. Petty Officer Miller demonstrated remarkable initiative, exceptional fortitude, and daring in spite of imminent personal danger in this rescue. His courage and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.