The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander George Henry Garbe, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on the night of 21 December 1968 as aircraft commander of a Coast Guard HH-52A helicopter engaged in the rescue of four men and a 10-year-old boy from the fishing vessel SEA ERMINE which had gone aground and was breaking up in heavy surf off Marmot Island, Alaska. Unable to climb above 700 feet because of a low freezing level, Lieutenant Commander Garbe proceeded in darkness, encountering heavy snow showers and fog en route to the scene. The vessel was sighted approximately six and one-half miles from her reported position, aground and listing 30 degrees to starboard in the water below a sheer vertical cliff. Unable to distinguish a horizon, the surface or the shore, he executed a beep to a hover, turned off the aircraft search and hover lights to eliminate the reflection from sea spray and snow and landed in the water about one mile from the distressed vessel. Lieutenant Commander Garbe then turned on the searchlight, sailed the helicopter towards the vessel until the rocks were visible in the beam of light, located the shore line, and lifted into a hover to air taxi over the ship. Despite the heavy surf, he positioned the helicopter over the stern of the vessel while simultaneously maintaining clearance from the surrounding terrain and the vessels rigging while a survivor was put in the basket. The aircraft was moved away from the wreck and the 10-year-old boy was then hoisted to safety. Lieutenant Commander Garbe executed this exacting task four additional times to complete the rescue of the survivors. He displayed expert airmanship and dauntless valor throughout this perilous mission. Lieutenant Commander Garbe’s skill, courage, and sound judgment and unwavering devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.