Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Marzilli, a boatswain’s mate stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane, received a Coast Guard Medal for his actions during the Lahaina wildfire in a ceremony aboard the Harriet Lane last Thursday.
Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sean Regan, commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, presented the award to Marzili.
Marzilli, who was stationed at Coast Guard Station Maui during the events of the wildfires, was a coxswain aboard one of the 45-foot Response Boat-Mediums deployed to help with rescue efforts Aug. 8 to Aug. 9, 2023.
The award recognized Marzili’s efforts during the Lahaina wildfires where he and his crew rescued five people and assisted 40 others to safety.
“Petty Officer Marzilli put service and the safety of others over his own,” said Regan. “The courage that Petty Officer Marzilli and his crew demonstrated when others needed them most exemplifies the Coast Guard’s core value of devotion to duty.”
Petty Officer Marzilli and the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane recently completed a 68-day patrol in support of Coast Guard District Fourteen’s Operation Blue Pacific in Oceania, working alongside Pacific Island Countries to forge and advance relationships with like-minded allies and partners who share a common vision for maritime governance.
The Coast Guard Medal is the service’s highest honor for noncombat operations a Coast Guard member can receive. It is awarded to members that performed voluntary acts of heroism in the face of danger of such a magnitude that it stands out distinctly above normal expectations.
For more information about the Coast Guard Medal, Click Here.
To watch a video about Coast Guard Station Maui’s participation in the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, Click Here.