**Statement Honoring Petty Office Willard L Milam, U.S. Coast Guard**

Senator Ted Stevens

Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the heroic actions of Petty
Office Willard Milam, a United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer serving
our nation in Kodiak, Alaska.

Shortly after midnight on 10 February, 2007 the United States Coast
Guard Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau Alaska received an emergency
beacon from the fishing vessel Illusion. Like so many of our brave Coast
Guard men and women, Petty Officer Milam and his crew of four launched
in a Coast Guard rescue helicopter to investigate the source of the
distress signal, undaunted by the howling 50-mile per hour winds, heavy
rain and near zero visibility.

When the aircrew arrived on scene, the eerie glow of a flare illuminated
the mist and darkness that surrounded the helicopter. Realizing that the
crew of the fishing vessel had abandoned ship and climbed into a life
raft, which was now being tossed in the treacherous Bering Sea, Petty
Officer Milam readied himself to be hoisted down into the bone-chilling,
40 degree seas.

As soon as Petty Office Milam entered the water, he swam to the life
raft and found four survivors \-- hypothermic, in shock, and unprotected
against the elements. One by one, Petty Officer Milam pulled the
survivors out of the life raft and swam them over to a rescue basket
lowered through the darkness by the helicopter hovering above.

After loading the first two survivors into the rescue basket, Petty
Officer Milam could begin to feel the frigid water flowing into his own
dry suit, filling it in an instant, the cold taking his breath away.
Fighting the debilitating affects of the cold and struggling against
exhaustion, Petty Officer Milam was able to swim the third survivor from
life raft to the rescue basket.

While the third survivor ascended toward the spot lights of the rescue
helicopter, Petty Officer Milam realized that the life raft with one
survivor still on board had drifted too far for him to reach in his
current condition. Petty Officer Milam signaled for an emergency pick-up
and was quickly hoisted back into the rescue helicopter.

Once inside the helicopter and aware that the crew had only enough fuel
to remain on the scene for 15 more minutes, Petty Officer Milam
courageously asked to be lowered back into the tempest to save the last
remaining survivor. Upon entering the water, Petty Officer Milam pulled
the last survivor, now combative with fear, from the life raft and
dragged him through the storm tossed seas to place him in the rescue
basket.

With the last survivor in the rescue helicopter, Petty Officer Milam
drifted in and out of consciousness as the aircrew lowered the rescue
basket directly to him. Miraculously, Petty Office Milam was able to
climb inside and was hoisted to safety. When Petty Officer Milam next
awoke, he was in the clinic at Dutch Harbor Alaska, wrapped in blankets
and surrounded by heat lamps.

In Alaska, we consider the Coast Guard the Guardian of the Last Frontier
and I am proud to recognize a fellow Alaskan who has dedicated his life
to public service. Petty Officer Milam's heroic actions personify the
selfless public service representative of all United States Coast Guard
men and women stationed around the globe.