The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander Robert Theodore Morhard, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on the morning of 19 January 1969 as aircraft commander of a Coast Guard HH-52A helicopter engaged in the rescue of three stranded hikers who were clinging to a near vertical -razor-back edge of the Pali Cliffs on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Upon arrival two men were observed perched on the roots of a small tree and a third straddling a rock 50 feet below. Despite winds gusting to 20 knots and with less than 10 feet rotor clearance from the face of the 80¡ cliff, Lieutenant Commander Morhard maneuvered the helicopter into position and maintained an extremely difficult hover over the tree while a rescue basket was threaded aft of the helicopter and down through the branches of the tree to hoist the first man to safety. He off-loaded the first hiker to Pali Lookout and returned to the scene. Operating under the same hazardous conditions, Lieutenant Commander Morhard skillfully positioned the helicopter and hovered over the tree permitting a guideline to be lowered to assist in threading the rescue basket through the branches while the second man was hoisted to safety. Displaying utmost precision during the third arduous operation, he positioned the aircraft next to the tree with two feet rotor clearance above and a horizontal, clearance of six feet from the rock cliff. Lieutenant Commander Morhard held the helicopter nearly stationary despite the buffeting winds, while a 50-foot guideline was lowered and the rescue basket placed directly in front of the survivor who then released his hold on the rock, grabbed and entered the basket. Lieutenant Commander Morhard displayed expert airmanship and dauntless valor throughout this perilous mission. His aeronautical skill, courage, sound judgment and unwavering devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.