The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Aviation Maintenance Technician Third Class James M. McGinley, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on the Coast Guard HH-60J helicopter CG6042 on 13 November 2003, as Flight Mechanic. Responding to a distress call from the S/V LADY SAMANTHA, which was disabled 150 nautical miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the aircrew fought 85-knot wind gusts to find the vessel being helplessly battered by massive seas. It frequently rolled until its masts were in the water, and the wildly swinging rigging made a direct hoist to the vessel impossible. The sailors tried to abandon ship into their life raft, but the howling winds parted the tether and it quickly disappeared downwind. The aircrew then ordered the sailors to enter the raging seas one at a time so they could be hoisted from the water. Undaunted by the massive 50-foot waves and 75-knot winds, Petty Officer McGinley provided precise aircraft conning commands while expertly timing the perfect delivery of the rescue swimmer into the back side of a wave. Petty Officer McGinley then provided continuous conning commands to hold the aircraft in position, while simultaneously paying out and retracting the cable at maximum speed to compensate for the huge waves. When the swimmer was ready with the first survivor, Petty Officer McGinley skillfully guided the aircraft overhead and deftly hoisted them from the top of a wave. Through remarkable skill and determination, he overcame the incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions to complete the first rescue in only 8 minutes. The same procedures were followed for the second rescue, but on the third, the survivor slipped out of her life jacket and was in imminent danger of succumbing to the frigid waters. Petty Officer McGinley immediately delivered the rescue swimmer directly to the survivor just as she was about to go under. On the fourth rescue, complete darkness had fallen, obscuring the approaching wave crests. As Petty Officer McGinley lowered the swimmer into the water, a massive wave broke on top of him, holding him below the surface for a tense 27 seconds. Displaying incredible composure, Petty Officer McGinley kept the pilot in position above the swimmer as he was dragged by the enormous wave. His skill prevented injury to the swimmer, and the aircrew then proceeded to recover the last two victims. Petty Officer McGinley’s actions, aeronautical skill and valor were instrumental in the rescue of 5 persons. 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.