The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in addition to a previously awarded Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander Joseph L. Crowe, Jr., United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on the morning of 4 April, 1975 while serving as aircraft commander of Coast Guard HH-3F helicopter engaged in the perilous rescue of eight crewmen from the Liberian tanker SPARTAN LADY which had broken in half in raging seas and hurricane force winds approximately 145 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station, Cape Cod in a blinding snowstorm, Lieutenant Commander Crowe skillfully piloted the helicopter to the stricken vessel, whose bow and stern sections had drifted about two miles apart in the 20 to 30 Ð foot seas and was directed to evacuate eight stranded crewmen from the bow section. Despite 60-knot winds and limited visibility, Lieutenant Commander Crowe expertly maneuvered the helicopter over the stricken vessel and after repeated attempts, improvised a method of getting the trail line to the bow section which was pitching and rolling violently in the mountainous seas. He then established a hover altitude in excess of 100 feet over the severely inclined deck of the bow and maintained this position for 45 minutes, avoiding the wildly swinging 100-foot mast, until all survivors were hoisted to safety. Upon completion of the arduous hoist operation, Lieutenant Commander Crowe immediately departed the area due to a low fuel state and encountered further deteriorating weather conditions as he approached his destination. With no suitable alternatives, he skillfully and precisely executed an approach to a runway with the lowest authorized descent altitude despite a 50-degree gusty crosswind; safely landed the helicopter; deplaned the survivors to waiting ambulances. Lieutenant Commander Crowe’s innovative actions, expert aeronautical skills, and dauntless valor throughout this perilous mission resulted in saving the lives of eight crewmen. His heroic courage, sound judgment, and unwavering devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.