Boatswains Mate First Class Webber was the assigned coxswain of Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36500 who with his crew of three saved 32 of the 33 crewmen who were on the stern section of SS Pendleton when the ship broke in two. All four Coast Guardsmen were awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their heroic actions. The rescue operation has been noted as one of the most successful in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.[1]
Keeper Etheridge was the first African American to hold the rank of keeper of a life-saving station and served at Pea Island Life-Saving Station for 21 years. He led the Pea Island crew of six in a rescue operation that saved the entire crew of the schooner E.S. Newman, which had become grounded in a storm in 1896.[2]
Seaman Apprentice Flores was cited for heroism while serving aboard USCGC Blackthorn. Immediately after the collision between SS Capricorn and Blackthorn near the entrance to Tampa Bay, Florida, Blackthorn rolled to port and capsized before the cutter's personnel could prepare for an orderly abandon ship. Flores joined another crewmember in making their way to the starboard lifejacket locker and commenced throwing lifejackets over the side to fellow crewmembers in the water. Later, as the cutter began to submerge, Flores remained behind to strap the lifejacket locker door open with his own belt thereby contributing to the survival of struggling shipmates who retrieved lifejackets as they floated to the surface. Even after most of the crewmembers abandoned ship, Flores, with complete disregard for his own safety, remained on the inverted hull to assist trapped shipmates and provide aid and comfort to injured and disoriented shipmates. Flores was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal, which is the highest non-combat bravery award of the United States Coast Guard.[3]
Engineman First Class Yered put out a fire on an ammunition barge while assigned to a U.S. Coast Guard Explosive Loading Detachment at Cat Lai, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He was awarded a Silver Star by the U.S. Army for his heroism.[4]
Keeper Norvell became a lighthouse keeper in 1891 at Deer Island at the Head of Passes on the Mississippi River, and remained in that service for 41 years. She was credited with saving many lives, including by venturing out into storms in a rowboat to rescue stranded mariners.[5]
Fireman Clark was a landing boat engineer attached to USS Joseph T. Dickman during the allied assault on a beach in French Morocco when the craft's two other crew members were wounded by a Luftwaffe fighter. Clark took command of the craft, took the wounded crew members to USS Palmer for medical care and then returned to his duties as a beachmaster, directing disembarkation activity. For his courage he was awarded the Navy Cross.[6]
Stewards Mate First Class David served aboard USCGC Comanche on North Atlantic convoy duty during World War II. The U.S. Army transport SS Dorchester was torpedoed by a U-boat off the coast of Greenland. He volunteered to dive overboard, with air temperatures below freezing, to help rescue the Dorchester’s crew. One of the men David saved was a fellow Comanche crewman, the cutter’s executive officer, who had fallen overboard and after exhaustion set in he was unable to pull himself out of the water. David was able to tie a line around him and the crew aboard Comanche hoisted him to safety. One of David’s shipmates had volunteered to dive overboard to assist with the rescue but was having trouble climbing the net due to his freezing limbs. David encouraged his shipmate to continue but he was fatigued and frozen. David descended the net and with the help of another crewmember, pulled him to Comanche’s deck out of harm’s way. David died a few days later from pneumonia that he contracted during his heroic efforts to save Dorchester’s survivors and members from his own crew. He was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery.[7]
