The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class Gregory Charles Simmons, United States Coast Guard, for heroism on the afternoon of 31 March 1973 while serving as Sea Air Rotary Wing Evacuation Team (SARWET) aircrewman of Coast Guard HH-52A 1409 helicopter during the rescue of a 12-year old girl who had been trapped beneath a cabin cruiser which had capsized in heavy seas and high winds while attempting to return to McAvoy Harbor in Suisun Bay near Port Chicago, California. The helicopter was diverted from a patrol flight to assist and upon arrival on-scene was advised that a young girl had been trapped for over two hours inside the overturned boat’s cabin. After evaluation of the sea and wind conditions, Petty Officer Simmons was deployed to the scene and made several attempts to dive under the boat but was unsuccessful due to the buoyancy in his wet suit and the amount of freeboard underwater. The helicopter then attempted, unsuccessfully, to tow the boat to shallow water. As concern mounted for the girl’s safety, the helicopter’s copilot entered the cold water, secured assistance from a nearby pleasure boat, and set up a towline between the boat and the capsized vessel, which finally resulted in the righting of the cruiser. Petty Officer Simmons located the young girl entangled in lines and debris and caught beneath the steering wheel of the boat. Assisted by the copilot, he freed the girl through the broken windows of the now upright cabin cruiser, and after her head was supported began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until free breathing was restored. Once the girl was revived, she was transferred to a Coast Guard boat for delivery to medical authorities. Petty Officer Simmons demonstrated remarkable initiative, exceptional fortitude, and daring during the exhausting hour and a half in the water during his rescue mission, which resulted in saving the girl’s life. His unselfish actions and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Coast Guard.