Some of the other Heroes of the Coast Guard

[Hoss68]

Samuel W. Allison

Lieutenant Samuel W. Allison was awarded the Silver Star: "For conspicuous gallantry in action as Commanding Officer of USS LCI(L)-326 during amphibious landings on the French coast June 6, 1944. Displaying superb seamanship and dauntless courage, Lieutenant Allison successfully landed units of the Army, then stood off the beach for salvage duty. Realizing that the services of a control boat were urgently needed, he volunteered for this assignment and, in the face of concentrated shell fire and constant threat of exploding mines, effectively directed boat traffic throughout the remainder of the initial assault."


Richard A. Arrighi

Ensign Richard A. Arrighi, USCGR, an officer on board the CGC Escanaba, was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on 18 August 1943, during rescue operations off Greenland on 3 February 1943. After the troopship Dorchester was torpedoed, Arrighi was the first to go over the side as a "retriever." During the early hours of the rescue operations, one lifeboat, was contacted which was in fair condition. This boat had picked up the other survivors and was fairly crowded. As the lifeboat was made fast to Escanaba's side, one of its helpless members fell in between the cutter and the lifeboat. This poor man was covered with oil and the men in the lifeboat simply could not extricate him from his perilous position. ENS Arrighi, who was working in the water at the time, swam in between the boat and the ship, pulled the man out so that he would not be crushed, held him up so that a line could be put around him and helped the men in the boat get him on aboard. Arrighi was in grave danger of being himself crushed between the boat and the ship's side, but due to his disregard of his own safety and to his quick action he was spared, only to lose his life in June when Escanaba blew up. Arrighi was in and out of the water rescuing survivors, working in the dark with a rough sea running and quitting only when his, rubber suit became worn and filled with water. After that he had to be hauled on board and treated for exposure.


Ellsworth Price Bertholf

Captain Ellsworth Price Bertholf was the first commandant of the Coast Guard. He joined the Revenue Cutter Service in 1885, beginning a long and distinguished career. While serving on the USRC Bear he participated in the Point Barrow-Overland Relief Expedition of 1897-1898. Congress awarded him a Gold Medal of Honor for his actions on that expedition. He was instrumental in implementing the merger of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service to form the Coast Guard in 1915.


Frederick C. Billard

Rear Admiral Frederick C. Billard served as the commandant of the Coast Guard from 1924 through his death in 1932. He was a veteran of the First World War and was awarded the Navy Cross for his service in that conflict. He oversaw the service’s expansion during the enforcement of Prohibition and reinforced the Coast Guard’s traditional tasks as well. He worked well with Congress and the Treasury Department and was loved throughout the service. Robert Johnson, in his history of the Coast Guard entitled Guardians of the Sea, wrote of Billard that "he must rank with the greatest commandants of the Coast Guard."


Benjamin Bottoms

ARM1c Benjamin Bottoms was a Coast Guard radio operator assigned to the Northland's aircraft on the Greenland Patrol during World War II. He was killed when his aircraft, piloted by LT John Pritchard, crashed while attempting to rescue a downed Army Air Force B-17 crew in Greenland.


David Brostrom
Lieutenant (j.g.) David Brostrom was the commanding officer of the cutter Point Welcome during a tour of duty with Operation Market Time in the Republic of Vietnam. In a tragic "friendly fire" incident, several U.S. Air Force aircraft mistakenly attacked the Point Welcome while she was on patrol during the night of 11 August 1966. As soon as the Point Welcome was illuminated by flares dropped by the Air Force aircraft, he raced to the bridge, calling out orders to his crew. He was killed as he reached the bridge.


John Cahoone

Captain John Cahoone commanded the cutter Vigilant during its engagement with the British privateer Dart during the War of 1812. The Dart had preyed upon Yankee shipping in Long Island Sound for some time, taking 20 to 30 vessels. She appeared off Newport on 4 October 1813 with two freshly caught prizes, and this braggadocio proved her undoing. Capt. Cahoone took 20 Navy volunteers on board to augment his regular crew and made sail to engage the brazen Britisher. Vigilant boldly sailed well within gun range of the more heavily armed sloop and loosed a broadside, which stunned the privateer. A boarding party from the revenue cutter quickly scrambled aboard the enemy vessel as she brushed alongside her quarry and quickly carried the Briton. Vigilant lost two men in the engagement, both of whom fell into the water and drowned while attempting to board.


Francis Cartigan

Captain Francis Cartigan commanded the cutter Alabama during the Revenue Marine Services attempt to rid the Gulf of Mexico of pirates. He and his crew, with the assistance of the cutter Louisiana, destroyed a pirate rendezvous point on Breton Island in 1820.


Garner J. Churchill

Chief Warrant Officer (Boatswain) Garner J. Churchill of Humboldt Bay Lifeboat Station, California, was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for the rescue of the sinking vessel Rena. His crew, however, were only awarded Silver Life-Saving medals, and he refused to accept his gold medal unless the crew also received the gold medal. The Department proved to be unwilling to change the award, and he therefore took the lesser Silver Lifesaving Medal along with his crew. His son noted that he took the Silver Life-Saving Medal because "he felt that he had done no more than his men." During the Second World War, while attempting to rescue the crew of a torpedoed freighter in a 36-foot motor life boat, he evaded and narrowly escaped attack from a Japanese submarine.


Paul L. Clark

F 1/c Paul Leaman Clark was awarded a Navy Cross, one of only six awarded to Coast Guardsmen during World War II, for his actions during the invasion of North Africa in November 1942. His citation reads: "For extraordinary heroism while serving as engineer of a landing boat attached to the USS JOSEPH T. DICKMAN during the assault on and occupation of French Morocco from November 8 to 11, 1942. When a hostile plane strafed his boat with machinegun fire, mortally wounding the bow man and severely injuring the coxswain, Clark with quick initiative immediately withdrew from the beach. Speeding toward the USS PALMER, he placed the wounded men aboard and, although his craft was riddled by enemy bullets, courageously returned to his station at the beach."


Malachi Corbell, Keeper

Keeper Malachi Corbell saved two African-American fisherman whose boat capsized near Caffey's Inlet, North Carolina. In June, 1877 he was awarded a Silver Lifesaving Medal, becoming the first member of the U.S. Life-Saving Service to earn one of the newly instituted Treasury Department life-saving medals.


T. James Crotty

Lieutenant T. James Crotty was an expert on mine recovery and served with United States forces in the Philippines at the start of the Second World War. There he carried out special demolition work during the retreat of American and Filipino forces from Bataan to Corregidor. He then served as the executive officer of the USS Quail, which swept clear channels to the island and also bombarded Japanese forces on Bataan. Crotty was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army after the surrender of Corregidor in May 1942. He died later that fall of diphtheria. He was the only documented Coast Guard prisoner of war during the 20th century.


Joseph L. Crowe, Jr.
Captain Joseph L. Crowe, Jr., was a noted Coast Guard aviator responsible for numerous rescues during peacetime and war and for his abilities as a leader, planner, and pilot. From 1971 to 1972, Crowe served as an exchange pilot with the Air Force's 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in Vietnam, flying numerous combat search and rescue missions. In June, 1971, he flew a combat rescue mission behind enemy lines to rescue successfully two downed airmen. Another combat rescue mission took place in April, 1972, when Crowe attempted to rescue Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton, USAF, who was made famous in the book Bat 21 (by William C. Anderson). Due to heavy enemy fire that riddled his HH-53C "Super Jolly," however, Crowe was forced to abort the rescue and barely made it back to base. He planned the operation that led to the successful rescue of American and South Vietnamese personnel trapped in Quang Tri during May, 1972. Crowe earned the Frederick L. Feinberg Award of the American Helicopter Society for his daring rescue in 1976 of seven men who were trapped on the bow section of sinking tanker Spartan Lady 145 miles south of Martha's Vineyard during an intense storm. He later commanded Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod for two tours of duty. Crowe was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine Air Medals during his Coast Guard career.

Charles Walter David, Jr.

Stewards-Mate First Class Charles Walter David, Jr., was an African American Coast Guardsman who served on board the cutter Comanche during World War II. When the Comanche came to the aid of the survivors of the torpedoed transport Dorchester in the cold waters off Greenland, David volunteered to dive overboard to help rescue those in need--practicing the newly devised "rescue retriever" technique. David repeatedly dived overboard in the frigid water to save several men. He even saved the life of a fellow crewman, the Comanche's executive officer, LT Langford Anderson, when Anderson became unable to pull himself out of the water due to exposure. David died a few days later from hypothermia contracted during his heroic efforts to save the stricken survivors of the Dorchester and LT Anderson. He was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery.


Warren T. Deyampert

Steward's Mate Third Class Warren T. Deyampert was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Deyampert, an Escanaba crewmen, took part in that cutter's rescue of the survivors of the torpedoed transport Dorchester off Greenland on 3 February 1943. He worked between three and four hours in the water during darkness, pulling rafts in close to the ship, securing them with lines from the ship, securing bowlines about the survivors so that they could be hauled aboard Escanaba, and at times keeping helpless survivors afloat until they could put lines about them. They were often in danger of being crushed by the life rafts as they brought them close to the ship's side. Deyampert stuck with a single floating survivor as he drifted astern under the counter, in order to keep him clear of the propeller, just in case it turned. He disregarded this danger to himself, in order that the survivor might be kept clear of it. Deyampert perished later that year when Escanaba exploded and sank.


Lance A. Eagan

Lance Eagan earned his wings in 1965 first flew HH-52A helicopters along with HU-16E amphibians out of Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn before being among the first group of Coast Guard aviators to volunteer to serve in Vietnam with the US Air Force Force's 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron flying rescue missions. He made numerous combat rescues during his tour and by the end of his Coast Guard aviation career he was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal (with 10 oak leaf clusters), a Combat Action Ribbon, two Letters of Commendation, Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Medal (with 4 bronze stars) and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (with palm).


Walter B. Eberle

First Assistant Keeper Walter B. Eberle, assigned to the Whale Rock Light Station in Rhode Island, remained at his post on the night of 21 September 1938 when a hurricane hit the northeast coast. Eberle was killed when the lighthouse was swept out to sea. He was a US Navy veteran, a master diver, and the father of six children. His body was never recovered.


Frank A. Erickson

Frank A. Erickson was an aviation pioneer who led the Coast Guard's acquisition and development of rotary-wing aircraft. He was instrumental in convincing the armed services of both the U.S. and Great Britain of the helicopter's potential, particularly for search and rescue and combat operations, risking his career in openly supporting what was then an untried and unproven technology. Erickson first earned his wings in 1935 and made his first open-ocean rescue the following year while assigned to Air Station Miami. He piloted amphibian aircraft attached to three of the newly commissioned 327-foot cutters in an experiment that tested combined aircraft-cutter operations. He was then ordered to the Sikorsky Aircraft Company's plant at Bridgeport, CT, for training in the new helicopters being manufactured there, forming the first Coast Guard Helicopter Detachment. He was designated as Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot No. 1 and became an instructor. He organized and trained pilots who participated in the joint U.S. and British evaluation trials held on board the SS Daghestan in November 1943 to ascertain the feasibility of helicopter flight operations aboard ships at sea. He also trained 102 helicopter pilots and 225 mechanics, including personnel from the Army Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and the British Army, Royal Air Force and Navy. On 3 January 1944 he flew the first ever rescue flight by helicopter when he piloted a Sikorsky HNS-1, carrying two cases of blood plasma, from New York City to Sandy Hook, NJ, during a violent storm, for the treatment of Navy crewmen from the destroyer USS Turner, which had exploded and burned off New York Harbor. He developed equipment such as the power hoist, rescue slings and baskets, floats that permitted helicopters to land on water and techniques like landing and taking off from vessels at sea and hovering in all weather and wind conditions. These advances furthered the utility of the helicopter, leading to its acceptance and use around the globe. Erickson's impact on the development of the helicopter in all its uses is beyond estimation.


Louis C. Etheridge, Jr.

A well-known example of African American military expertise was the crew of stewards that manned a battle station on the cutter Campbell, which rammed and sank a German submarine on February 22, 1943. SD 1/c Louis C. Etheridge, Jr., captain of the Campbell's African American gun crew, was presented the Bronze Star medal (with a combat citation) on February 25, 1952, and a personal letter of congratulations from the Commandant. The crew earned medals for "heroic achievement."


John Faunce

Captain John Faunce was the commanding officer of the cutter Harriet Lane when it fired a shot across the bow of a merchant ship that attempted to enter Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, without flying a national flag. This shot is considered to be the first naval shot of the Civil War.


Manuel Ferreira

Manuel Ferreria served as a lighthouse keeper for seven different lighthouses during his career, which spanned from 1908 through 1946. He was known as "one of the grand old men of Hawaiian lighthouse lore." In 1919 he rescued the crew of a Japanese fishing trawler when that vessel ran aground off Barber's Point, Hawaii, where he served as a keeper. He was instrumental in saving the schooner Bianca and its crew in 1923 when the ship lost its sails and was in danger of smashing on a reef. Ferreira was unable to launch the lighthouse skiff due to the high surf conditions. Instead, he ran three miles to the nearest telephone and called for assistance. The USS Sunadin was dispatched and reached the wallowing schooner just in time to tow it to safety.


Florence Ebersole Smith Finch

Florence Finch enlisted in the SPARs during World War II after first escaping imprisonment by the Japanese. She was captured in the Philippines in October, 1944 after serving with the Filipino resistance and assisting U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war. She was liberated by Allied forces during the invasion of the Philippines and after returning to the U.S., she joined the SPARs. She was the first woman to receive the Pacific Theatre Campaign ribbon. She was also presented with the U.S. Medal of Freedom.


William Ray Flores

SA William Ray "Billy" Flores died in the line of duty while saving the lives of many of his shipmates when his cutter, the Blackthorn, collided with the tanker Capricorn, on January 28, 1980. The Blackthorn and the tanker Capricorn collided near the entrance to Tampa Bay, Florida. The Blackthorn capsized before all the cutter’s crew could abandon ship. Twenty-seven of Flores’ shipmates did escape the sinking ship. After the ships collided Flores and another crewmember threw lifejackets to their shipmates who had jumped into the water. Later, when his companion abandoned ship as the Blackthorn began to submerge, Flores -- who was less than a year out of boot camp--remained behind and used his own belt to strap open the lifejacket locker door, allowing additional lifejackets to float to the surface. Even after most crewmembers abandoned ship, the 19-year-old Flores remained aboard to assist trapped shipmates and to comfort those who were injured and disoriented. He was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal.

Gene R. Gislason

Lieutenant Gene R. Gislason was awarded the Silver Star: "For outstanding heroism as Commanding Officer of the USS LCI(L)-94, while landing assault troops in Normandy June 6, 1944. He successfully directed his ship through numerous beach obstacles to the proper beach, discharged his troops and retracted while his ship was seriously damaged from heavy enemy fire. Ship's communications, engine telegraph and electric steering were disabled by direct hits on the pilothouse which killed three crewmen, and one screw and shaft were rendered inoperative by beach obstacles. By his coolness under fire and excellent seamanship, Lieutenant Gislason overcame these difficulties and brought his ship off the beach on hand steering and one screw. He later supervised repairs and in four hours enabled the LCI(L) to remain operative in the assault area for three weeks."


Willis J. Goff

Gunner's Mate First Class Willis J. Goff, a crewman on board the CGC Point Banks on patrol in Vietnam, was awarded the Silver Star for "his heroic courage and gallantry in action while engaged in armed conflict against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong aggressors in the Republic of Vietnam on Jan. 22, 1969." He and fellow Point Banks crewman EN2 Larry D. Villarreal volunteered to man the cutter's launch to rescue a group of nine South Vietnamese soldiers who were trapped along a beach by two Viet Cong platoons. Under continuous enemy fire, they made two landings on the beach to rescue successfully all of the South Vietnamese soldiers. His citation read, in part: ". . .with courageous disregard for their own safety, Petty Officer Goff and his fellow crewmember were able to rescue nine South Vietnamese Army personnel who would have met almost certain death or capture without the assistance of the two Coast Guardsmen. Petty Officer Goff's outstanding heroism, professionalism, and devotion to duty and to his fellow man were in the highest traditions of the United States Naval Services."


Alexander Hamilton

Secretary of the Treasury and Continental Army veteran Alexander Hamilton's first task when he joined President George Washington's cabinet was to put the finances of the young American republic in order. Hamilton realized that tariffs on imported goods were the primary means of generating revenue and that smugglers were inhibiting the collection of these funds. As such, he proposed the construction of 10 cutters to safeguard revenue by combating smuggling. On 4 August 1790 Congress authorized the construction of these vessels and for his foresight Hamilton is regarded as the "Father of the Coast Guard."


Glen Livingston Harris

Surfman Glen Livingston Harris was awarded a Silver Star by Admiral Chester Nimitz for his combat actions during the invasion of Guadalcanal. He participated in the first wave landings at Tulagi Island. His citation reads: "For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity in action during the landings on Tulagi Island, whose boat with seven others, constituted the first assault wave. He landed his embarked troops and then made repeated trips during that day and the following two days, in spite of heavy enemy fire, to effect the landing of equipment, ammunition and supplies, and on September 8 he made a landing against a Japanese force at Taivu Point, Guadalcanal Island; thereby materially contributing to the successful operations in which the enemy were defeated. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the finest traditions of the United States Coast Guard." Vice Admiral Russell R. Waesche, Commandant of the Coast Guard, also promoted him to Machinist's Mate, Second Class.


Coit T. Hendley

Lieutenant, junior grade Coit Hendley was awarded the Silver Star: "For heroism as Commanding Officer of the USS LCI(L)-85 while landing assault troops in Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. Lieutenant Hendley successfully landed his troops despite the mining of his vessel, fire in three compartments and a concentration of enemy fire while unloading. His courage and seamanship in directing repairs and retracting from the beach resulted in saving the lives of many wounded aboard."


James Hirchfield

Vice-Admiral James Hirchfield had a remarkable career in the Coast Guard. He is perhaps best remembered for his actions during a convoy battle on the North Atlantic during the Second World War while he commanded the cutter Campbell. The Campbell engaged six U-boats and sank a seventh all in the period of two days. Hirchfield earned the Navy Cross for his actions, one of only six such awards given to Coast Guardsmen during that conflict.


Calvin Hooper

Calvin Hooper was a long-time captain in the Bering Sea and was the first commanding officer of the Bering Sea Patrol. He served as the commanding officer of the Corwin when that cutter became the first to cruise systematically in the Arctic Ocean in 1880.


George F. Hutchinson

Lieutenant, junior grade George F. Hutchinson was awarded the Silver Star: "For gallantry in action against the enemy as Commanding Officer of the USS LCI(L)-83 while landing assault troops in Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. Lieutenant Hutchinson directed his ship to the beach through heavily mined obstacle while under heavy enemy fire that caused numerous Army casualties, successfully unloaded troops after the ship was mined and remained with the ship effecting repairs that enabled it to come off the beach on the next tide."


David H. Jarvis

David Henry Jarvis was appointed to the Revenue Cutter Service in 1881, and served until his retirement as a captain in 1905. He spent the majority of his career in Alaska and the Bering Sea. His most famous adventure came during an expedition to save the men of a whaling fleet that had become trapped in the ice off Point Barrow, Alaska, during the winter of 1897-1898. Jarvis, then a first-lieutenant, led a three-man rescue team consisting of Second-Lieutenant Ellsworth P. Bertholf and Doctor J.S. Call of the U. S. Public Health Service, with a herd of about 400 reindeer across 1,500 miles of tundra and pack-ice to Point Barrow. They arrived after a journey of 99 days and thereby saved over 300 men from starvation. They had completed the longest rescue mission ever undertaken in Coast Guard history. On 28 June 1902, Congress, in response to a request from President William McKinley to recognize officially what he called a "victory of peace," awarded Gold Medals of Honor to Jarvis and the other two members of what became known as the Overland Relief Expedition.

Sumner I. Kimball

Sumner Increase Kimball was the man most responsible for organizing the U.S. Life-Saving Service, established in 1878. He served as its head for its entire existence through its merger with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915. He also served as the civilian head of the Revenue Marine Bureau within the Department of the Treasury, and so was intimately connected to both the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service, the fore-bears of the present day Coast Guard. In 1877 he established a School of Instruction whereby the service selected and trained its own officer replacements, the fore-runner of the Coast Guard Academy.


Michael Kirkpatrick

Lieutenant (j.g.) Michael Kirkpatrick was the executive officer of the cutter Point Arden during the conflict in Vietnam. While acting as the mount captain, directing harassment-and interdiction mortar fire against enemy positions along the South Vietnamese coast on 9 August 1969, the mortar battery exploded, mortally wounding him.


William J. Kossler

Captain William J. Kossler was the Chief of Aeronautical Engineering who urged, in concert with Frank Ericsson, the development of the helicopter for military use and rescue work. Because of his far vision and confidence in the principle of rotary wing aircraft, Captain Kossler was greatly responsible for the adoption of the helicopter by the Coast Guard and Navy. He was instrumental in establishing a helicopter training base for all the U.S. military services and for the British Admiralty at the Coast Guard Air Station in Brooklyn.


Frederick Lee

Captain Frederick Lee, USRM, commanded the cutter Eagle during the War of 1812. The British captured the Eagle only after a battle that lasted for over a day in which Eagle's crew valiantly fought the British from the shore when their cutter grounded.


Harris Loomis

Captain Harris Loomis was the commanding officer of the cutter Louisiana that assisted in the destruction of a pirate base on Breton Island in 1820. While under his command the Louisiana also captured nine pirate vessels.


John A. Midgett

John Allen Midgett was the Keeper of the Chicamacomico Lifeboat Station, North Carolina. On 16 August 1918 Midgett heard an explosion and saw the British tanker, Mirlo, (a victim of U-117) foundering. Manning a power surfboat Midgett and his men (5 of 6 of whom were also named Midgett) went out to render assistance. Braving a heavy surf and burning oil, Midgett and his crew were able to save all but 10 men in this 6 ½ hour ordeal. For their efforts the Midgetts received Gold Lifesaving medals.


Rasmus S. Midgett

Surfman Rasmus S. Midgett single-handedly rescued ten people from the grounded ship, Priscilla, on 18 August 1899. While on patrol three miles from the Gull Shoal Lifeboat Station, Midgett noticed the flotsam and heard the cries from the broken vessel. Deciding to take immediate action, he first directed seven of the passengers through the surf and then he carried the other three to safety. For his actions he received the Gold Lifesaving Medal.

Click here for a narrative of this heroic rescue


Harold Christian Miller

Boatswain's Mate Second Class Harold Christian Miller was awarded a Silver Star by Admiral Chester Nimitz for his combat actions during the invasion of Guadalcanal. He participated in the first wave landings at Tulagi Island. His citation reads: "For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity in action during the landings on Tulagi Island, whose boat with seven others, constituted the first assault wave. He landed his embarked troops and then made repeated trips during that day and the following two days, in spite of heavy enemy fire, to effect the landing of equipment, ammunition and supplies, and on September 8 he made a landing against a Japanese force at Taivu Point, Guadalcanal Island; thereby materially contributing to the successful operations in which the enemy were defeated. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the finest traditions of the United States Coast Guard." Vice Admiral Russell R. Waesche, Commandant of the Coast Guard, also promoted him to Boatswain's Mate, First Class.


Catherine Moore

Catherine Moore served as the keeper of the Black Rock Light. Her father began tending the light in 1817 and Ms. Moore began assisting him when she was twelve. When her father became ill, she took over his duties. She was not officially appointed as the head keeper, however, until 1871. She served at the station for a phenomenal 72 years and saved at least 21 lives during her tenure. She retired from service in 1878 at the age of 84.


Margaret Norvell

Margaret Norvell, a keeper in the U.S. Lighthouse Service, served at the Head of Passes Light from 1891 to 1896, the Port Pontchartrain Light from 1896 to 1924 as the head keeper and then finished her career at the West End Light where she served from 1924 to 1932. She rescued numerous shipwrecked persons during her career and assisted many others in distress. On one occasion in 1903 when a storm swept away every building in the community except the lighthouse she cared for over 200 people who had been left homeless.


Douglas Ottinger

Captain Douglas Ottinger was a commander of the cutter Lawrence. He gained fame when he boarded the clipper ship Challenge with a small armed party to quell a riot that had broken out in the harbor where Challenge was berthed. When the mob boarded the vessel, Ottinger and his party dispersed the mob and saved the vessel. Also was an early Inspector of the USLSS, he built the early boathouses on the Jersey shore and promoted the use of the life-car.


Gene E. Oxley

Seaman 1/c Gene E. Oxley was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on D-Day at Normandy on 6 June 1944. His citation reads: "For gallantry while on the USS LCI(L)-85 during the assault on the coast of France June 6, 1944, and for extraordinary courage in volunteering and twice taking a line ashore, in the face of heavy machine gun and shell fire, in order to assist troops unloading from the ship to the beach through chest deep water."


Richard H. Patterson

BMC Richard Patterson served on board the USCGC Point Welcome when the cutter came under attack by friendly aircraft in August, 1965 just south of the demilitarized zone in South Vietnam. The first attack caused a blazing gasoline fire on the fantail of the cutter that threatened to engulf the entire after section of the vessel. Chief Patterson, displaying the finest qualities of bravery and leadership, took charge of the situation and using a fire hose, forced the flaming liquid over the side, thus extinguishing the fire. Even as he was accomplishing this task, he saw the second aircraft attack rip through the pilot house killing the cutter's commanding officer and seriously wounding the executive officer and the helmsman. Unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his personal safety, Chief Patterson climbed to the bridge and took command. He ordered the crew to carry the wounded to the comparative safety of the below decks area. Alone on the bridge, he then maneuvered the cutter at high speed to avoid subsequent attacks. When it became apparent that he could not successfully evade the attacking aircraft, he ran the cutter close ashore, and directed the crew to abandon ship. Under his composed leadership, the wounded were wrapped in life jackets and paired with the able bodied before going over the side. Chief Patterson kept his crew calm and organized while they were in the water and until they were picked up by rescue craft. The Navy Department awarded him the bronze star with the combat "V" device for his actions.


Carl U. Peterson

Lieutenant Commander Carl U. Peterson was the commanding officer of the cutter Escanaba which was sunk in the North Atlantic in June of 1943 with a loss of all but two crewmen. The cutter had been on escort duty. He was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit for "outstanding services as commanding officer of the USCGC Escanaba while that vessel was engaged in rescue operations in behalf of an American transport [Dorchester] which was torpedoed and sunk on February 3, 1943. Proceeding through heavy seas in total darkness, Lt. Comdr. Peterson, under imminent threat of enemy attack, took immediate action which involved great skill with the result that 133 men were rescued from the sea."


Kenneth Phillips

Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Phillips was the commanding officer of the Coast Guard manned destroyer escort USS Leopold during the Second World War. The Leopold, while escorting a convoy across the North Atlantic, was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat. He ensured that his men abandoned ship and did his utmost to encourage his men to survive in the frigid waters until they were rescued. He did not survive.


Robert H. Prause

Lieutenant Robert H. Prause, the executive officer of CGC Escanaba, was awarded a posthumous Letter of Commendation for his work in organizing and supervising the rescue operations of the survivors of the sinking of the troopship Dorchester on 3 February 1943. The handling, by LT Prause, of the survivors and crew members in the water while the ship was maneuvering, plus the prompt recovery of two crew members who were pulled overboard as they tried to keep the survivors alongside, displayed sound judgment and excellent seamanship. Despite the lack of illumination there was no confusion. Everyone worked with grim determination to cheat the enemy out of as many victims as possible, despite the constant threat of submarine action. LT Prause had previously planned the retriever method of rescue and had gone into the icy water off the dock at Bluie West One, Greenland, in a rubber suit with a line attached. He perished later that year when Escanaba blew up and sank while on convoy duty.


John K. Pritchard



<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Lieutenant John K. Pritchard was a Coast Guard aviator assigned to the cutter Northland on the Greenland Patrol during World War II. He and his radio operator, ARM1c Benjamin Bottoms, were killed when his aircraft crashed while attempting to rescue a downed Army Air Force B-17 crew in Greenland during a severe storm. The day before Pritchard had already rescued two of the bomber’s crew and he heroically volunteered to attempt another flight to rescue the remaining Army Air Force personnel even though a storm was closing in on the crash site.

[USMC5831]

Hats off to the great men who have made th coat guard what it is today.