The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Aviation Structural Mechanic Second Class Wayne S. Langley, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 12 December 1966 as Flight Mechanic of Coast Guard HH-60J CGNR 6018. Petty Officer Langley was engaged in the search and rescue of two survivors from the fishing vessel OCEANIC which sank 20 nautical miles west of Craig, Alaska after encountering mechanical problems in heavy seas. Helicopter 6018 was diverted from a training mission and quickly returned to Air Station Sitka to load specialized rescue equipment. Weather deteriorated en route as the crew flew 112 miles through gale force winds and near-zero visibility in dark, icy conditions and severe turbulence. Once on scene Petty Officer Langley diligently searched the massive 20-foot seas for 40 minutes, and remarkably spotted three persons floating in frigid 38-degree water. Two of the victims wore survival suits and a third clung to a life ring. Petty Officer Langley swiftly completed hoist checklists and prepared for the extremely demanding hoists. Freezing rain and darkness limited visibility to the narrow arc of the aircraft’s search light, pressing Petty Officer Langley to maneuver the aircraft as much as 30 feet in alternate directions to stay above the helpless victims. The first hoist attempt was thwarted by the violent seas and winds that blew the rescue basket and rescue swimmer wildly away from the survivors. Selecting a higher hoist altitude to stabilize the aircraft, Petty Officer Langley successfully delivered the rescue basket to two survivors, and hoisted them to the relative safety of the helicopter. With fuel below safe levels, Petty Officer Langley maneuvered the hovering aircraft and dangling swimmer beside the motionless victim. Despite a Herculean effort, they were unable to get the third victim aboard the helicopter and had to depart to the nearest landing site. With only minutes of fuel remaining, Petty Officer Langley prepared the cabin for possible ditching to the rocky shoreline and administered first aid to the hypothermic survivors. Helicopter 6018 reached safety at Klawock Airport with just five minutes fuel remaining. The two survivors were transferred in stable condition to awaiting ambulances. Petty Officer Langley’s actions, aeronautical skill, and valor were instrumental in the rescue and full recovery of two survivors who would have otherwise perished. His courage, judgment, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.