Hero of the Week 50

Welcome back viewers

This week we will honor three heroes who share a connection

They are: Sergeant Stubby, Winkie, and Reckless

 

Part 1

Stubby was a stray bull terrier who served in the American Army during World War I. He was found and adopted in Connecticut by soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division. He was named Stubby for his stature and his tail. He was smuggled aboard a troop ship and taken to France by a soldier named Robert Conroy. Upon arrival in France, Stubby found himself doing what no dog had ever done for the US Army in history.

Stubby served with the 77th Infantry during the final year of World War I. He participated in at least 17 battles and four major offensives. One of his most memorable achievements was when he captured  a German spy who was photographing American defenses while disguised as a civilian. When the spy attempted to flee, Stubby chased him down before grabbing him by the seat of his pants and holding him until American soldiers arrived on the scene and took the spy into custody. Stubby also became very useful in warning soldiers against mustard gas attacks and locating wounded soldiers. Using his sense of smell, Stubby could sense when mustard gas had been fired by the Germans long before it came into contact with the American trenches. 

One day, Stubby ran up a trench barking wildly, the American company heard his warning and quickly donned their gas masks. As a direct result, the entire company was saved. Stubby himself was wounded several times by gas and shrapnel. However, he survived the war and received a promotion to Sergeant (the first and only dog to receive a rank). After the war, Stubby became a national celebrity and was adopted by Robert Conroy. In 1921, he became the team mascot for the Georgetown Hoyas. He passed away in his sleep on March 16, 1926.

Part II

Winkie was a female pigeon who served in the British Army during World War II. Her job was to deliver messages from locations that could not be accessed by phone lines. During the war, pigeons were frequently used by the RAF in order to rescue downed airman who were in need of rescue. Winkie's navigation skills would be put to the ultimate test on February 23, 1942.

On that day, Winkie was aboard an RAF bomber (Bristol Beaufort). Her number was, NEHU 40 NSL. The bomber was severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire and the crew was forced to ditch in the North Atlantic. The crew all managed to survive the ditching, but found themselves stranded more than 100 miles off the coast of Scotland. As the crew crowded into inflatable rafts they set Winkie free with the hope that she could alert rescuers to their predicament. Despite being covered in oil and facing a more than 120 mile flight, Winkie made it back to headquarters. Although she was not carrying a message, the RAF was able to calculate the position of the downed aircraft by using the time difference between the downed plane's ditching and the arrival of the bird. They also took into account the wind direction and the amount of oil on Winkie's feathers. 

Thanks to Winkie's navigation skills and fast flying, the RAF were able to locate the stranded crew of the bomber within just 15 minutes of her arrival at the base. She received the Dickin Medal for her heroism in saving the crew of the bomber.

Part III

Sergeant Reckless was a thoroughbred mixed breed horse that served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. She was foaled in the year 1948, and was purchased by the 1st Marine Division in October of 1952. From there she began a distinguished career. In one battle, it was she who made the difference between life and death for many marines.

On March 26, 1953, Sergeant Reckless was serving with a Marine Recoilless Rifle platoon at a place called, "Outpost Vegas". In the early morning, they came under heavy attack. Over the next five days, Sergeant Reckless served as an ammunition carrier for the marines. She made more than 51 trips between their positions while carrying ammunition and medical supplies. In all, she is believed to have carried more than 4,000 kilograms (not all at the same time) for more than 35 miles through mountainous terrain and rice paddies. She even carried several severely wounded marines to field hospitals (despite being severely wounded herself at least twice). Incredibly, she did this all by herself without any official guidance from any person.

Throughout the Korean War, Sergeant Reckless participated in more than a dozen combat operations. For her heroic service, she received two purple hearts, the Dickin Medal, and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. She was given a heroes welcome upon her return to the United States. She also received an official promotion to Staff Sergeant. She lived in peaceful retirement until her death on May 13, 1968. She was buried with full military honors.

Epilogue

Although it is true that most war is fought by people. Many of us forget how much service and sacrifice is provided by animals. In many battles and military operations they have made the difference between life and death for people. The actions of Winkie, Stubby, and Sergeant Reckless are proof of this. I believe that they should always be remembered.

https://www.historyextra.com/period/first-world-war/sergeant-stubby-richard-lanni-film-animated-war-dog-american-history/

https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/sgt-reckless-combat-veteran

http://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=15

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17138990

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/15/sport/sergeant-reckless-warhorse-spt/index.html

Hero of the Week 49

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall was born on April 6, 1906. She grew up in Baltimore and learned to speak German and French while she was in college. She eventually found work at several American embassies before being employed by the US State Department. While she stationed in Turkey she was severely injured in a hunting accident that resulted in the amputation of her left leg below the knee. This tragic injury ended her dream of joining the diplomatic core which had rules against anyone with a disability. However, despite this setback, Virginia was still determined. She learned to walk with a prosthetic and resigned her clerical position before moving to Paris in 1940. Little did she know that she was about to face challenges that she never could have imagined.

Virginia Hall was forced to flee from Paris to London when the Nazis invaded that year. Upon her arrival, she volunteered for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). Within a few weeks, Hall was sent to Southern France as an undercover journalist in August, 1941. Once there, she observed Nazi activities and scouted safe drop zones for Allied commandos in France. This allowed them to get in contact with the French Resistance and supply them with money and weapons. For the next 15 months she continued helped them identify targets and safe houses. In November of 1942, the German Gestapo became aware of Hall's activities. She was forced to flee from France. Despite facing a large manhunt by the Gestapo she successfully eluded them and made it to neutral Spain.

By now the United States had entered the war. In March of 1944, Hall was recruited by the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Upon her induction, she immediately requested to return to France. The request was granted and Hall was landed in Brittany. For the next three months, she worked as a wireless operator. She coordinated parachute drops of arms and supplies for the French Maquis. She also reported German troop movements to Allied intelligence. This information would prove invaluable and make a critical difference in the Normandy invasion. Virginia Hall continued her espionage mission until France was liberated.

After the war in Europe ended, Virginia Hall was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for her heroism. She was the first and only civilian to receive it for heroism in World War II. She was also made an honorary member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 1951, Hall was recruited by the CIA, where she worked as an intelligence analyst for the next 15 years. She officially retired in 1966. For the rest of her life, Virginia Hall lived with her family on a farm in Maryland. She never sought publicity for what she did. She passed away on July 8, 1982, at the age of 76.

Virginia Hall was a very incredible person. She suffered a terrible tragedy early in her life, and yet she refused to let it slow her down. She performed great acts of courage at great risk to her own life and made a critical difference in the outcome many military operations in the war. I believe that Virginia Hall should be regarded as one of America's greatest heroes of World War II.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wanted-the-limping-lady-146541513/

https://americacomesalive.com/2012/03/12/virginia-hall-1906-1982-world-war-ii-spy-for-the-allies/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/virginia-hall

Hero of the Week 48

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Guy Gabaldon

Guy Gabaldon was born on March 22, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. As a boy, he grew up shining shoes in order to help his family. When he was 12, he had to move in with a Japanese-American family (the Nakanos) due to the Gabaldon's poverty. While he lived with the Nakano family, Guy learned about Japanese culture and how to speak the Japanese language. Everything changed when World War II broke out in 1941.

The Nakano family was forced to move to an internment camp after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. With no where else for him to go, Gabaldon enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. In 1943, he was shipped out to the pacific as part of the 2nd Marine Division. He was assigned as a scout and observer and would be part of the Invasion of the Japanese held island of Saipan. Gabaldon didn't know it at the time, but his ability to speak Japanese would become very useful.

On June 15, 1944, the battle of Saipan officially began. For the next three weeks, the American forces engaged in vicious combat with the Japanese garrison that resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides. By the month of July, Saipan had been mostly captured and the bulk of the Japanese forces had been depleted. However, thousands of Japanese soldiers refused to surrender and hid in caves and the dense jungle of the island. If Americans ever approached to demand their surrender, the Japanese would ambush them from hidden positions. They would continue to fight until the Americans used flamethrowers and napalm to set fire to the caves and trees. This would cause all those inside to burn to death.

One of the most tragic parts of the invasion of Saipan was that thousands of Japanese civilians found themselves caught in the crossfire of the battle. Many of them were killed in bombing raids and artillery strikes. They were also forced to accompany Japanese soldiers into the caves. This resulted in thousands of them being killed there. Thousands more committed suicide during the battle when approached by Americans (due to hearing horrible propaganda from the Japanese military).

During the battle, PFC Gabaldon had been wounded but did not see as much combat as many of his comrades did. However, he was able to contribute in a much different way. He decided to use his ability to speak the Japanese language in order to convince them to surrender instead of fighting to the death or committing suicide. On July 6, Gabaldon left his post and approached seven Japanese soldiers who had become isolated from their own lines. After speaking to him, they decided to surrender. After returning to American lines with his prisoners, Gabaldon was reprimanded for deserting his post and threatened with a court-martial if he did it again.

Despite this warning, Gabaldon went out again and this time, returned with 50 Japanese prisoners of war who had been convinced to surrender. After this, he was granted the privilege of, "lone wolf" operator. This meant that he could conduct himself in whatever mission that he wanted. He also gained himself a nickname, "The Pied Piper of Saipan". His defining moment came when he convinced a group of 800 Japanese soldiers and civilians hiding near a cliff to surrender. All in all, Guy Gabaldon would successfully convince more than 1,500 Japanese to lay down their arms without further bloodshed. He continued to do this until he was severely wounded in an ambush near the end of the campaign on Saipan.

Despite Guy Gabaldon's best efforts, the vast majority of the Japanese garrison continued to fight on. On July 7, the garrison launched the largest banzai charge in the whole of World War II. This charge would later be considered to be one of the most savage and brutal fights in the entire war. Saipan was finally declared secure, on July 9. By then, the Americans had suffered 13,790 casualties (3,246 killed or missing). Of the Japanese garrison of 29,000, nearly all either fought to the death or committed suicide. A further 30,000 civilians had been killed or committed suicide as well.

Private First Class Guy Gabaldon survived his wounds. He later fought in the battle of Tinian before being given an honorable discharge. For his heroism on Saipan, Gabaldon received the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart. He passed away on August 31, 2006 at the age of 80.

Guy Gabaldon should incredible bravery and compassion during is combat experience in World War II. It takes great courage to confront a fanatical enemy and convince him lay down his arms. By doing this, Guy saved thousands of people from dying unnecessary deaths when it could have been avoided. I believe that he should be revered as one of America's greatest heroes of World War II.

https://www.navysite.de/ships/lha2about.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/04/us/04gabaldon.html

https://www.wearethemighty.com/pied-piper-corporal-guy-gabaldon

http://www.wtj.com/articles/gabaldon/

Hero of the Week 47

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Jankiel Wiernik

Jankiel Wiernik was born in 1889 in Poland. For the first half of his life, he worked as a carpenter around the country before settling in Warsaw. However, his life changed forever at the breakout of World War II. After the fall of Poland to Nazi Germany, Jankiel Wiernik was one of thousands of people who were herded into the Warsaw Ghetto. After spending over a year in the ghetto, he and thousands of others were forced onto a train that took them to a death camp in Eastern Poland. It was a place called, Treblinka.

As soon as they arrived, the prisoners were separated into two groups. One very small group (including Wiernik) were lined up and sent to the barracks to prepare for work. The rest of the prisoners were immediately taken to Treblinka's gas chambers to be murdered.

At first Wiernik was forced to work as a Sonderkommando. He was part of the group that was supposed to retrieve the bodies of the people who had been gassed and take them to the cremetorium to be burned. He was eventually selected to become part of Treblinka's main work force when he revealed his skills as a carpenter to the guards. 

This revelation saved Wiernik's life. He was taken from the Sonderkommando and placed with a handful of prisoners who were being forced to help run the extermination process at Treblinka. For the next year, Wiernik was forced to repair buildings, fix the railroad, and to lead new prisoners to the gas chambers. He witnessed thousands of people being murdered on a daily basis and (along with his few prisoners) was subjected to sadistic brutality by Treblinka's guards. However, they were also secretly resisting.

Due to his position as a carpenter among the prisoners, Wiernik was able to view multiple areas of the death camp. As a result of this, he became a valuable asset to his fellow prisoners who were planning an uprising. The prisoners had been planning this ever since they had heard of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising from new prisoners who had survived the selection process. They were determined to fight back and obtain their freedom or else to die trying. 

On August 2, 1943, the Treblinka Uprising began. First, they broke into the guard's weapons storeroom and seized guns and ammunition. After this, some of the prisoners attacked the guards and set the camp on fire while others broke the gate to the camp open and made a break for the woods. Although the guards were initially caught by surprise, they quickly retaliated. The uprising in Treblinka was crushed within a few hours. By then however, over 300 of the prisoners of Treblinka (including Wiernik who had killed a guard with an axe) had managed to successfully escape. 

After his escape, Jankiel Wiernik managed to evade the pursuing SS and Gestapo. He was given shelter by a kind Pole who made contact with the Polish resistance in Warsaw. Wiernik eventually joined the Resistance and reported what he had witnessed in Treblinka. The leaders of the resistance urged him to write an account of his experience. In 1944, Jankiel Wiernik wrote a short biography titled, A Year in Treblinka. The book was smuggled out of Poland by the resistance and was published in England and the United States. It was the first written account of what would be known as the Holocaust to ever be published by a survivor. 

For the rest of the war, Wiernik fought with the Polish resistance. When it was over, he testified at the Nuremberg Trials for Nazi war criminals. In 1947, immigrated to Israel. For the rest of his life, Wiernik was continually haunted by his experience in Treblinka. He dedicated much of his later life to building models of the death camp which he donated to museums. In 1961, he testified at the trial of Adolf Eichmann. He died in 1972 at the age of 83.

From the time that it first opened (July, 1942) until the it was liquidated (October, 1943), more than 800,000 people were murdered in the death camp known as, Treblinka. Although 300 prisoners had escaped in the uprising, only around 100 (Wiernik included) survived the war to bear witness to the atrocities that were committed. The last survivor of Treblinka (Samuel Willenberg) passed away on February 19, 2016. 

Jankiel Wiernik truly was a remarkable person. He found the courage and the resilience to survive a terrible ordeal and make sure it was never forgotten. After his escape, he dedicated the rest of his life to preserving the memory of the victims of the Treblinka death camp. Because of men like him, the terrible tragedy of the Holocaust will never be forgotten (even when all the survivors have passed on).

http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/trials/wierniktestimony.html

http://www.zchor.org/treblink/wiernik.htm

https://www.chroniclesofterror.pl/dlibra/show-content?id=305&navq=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jaHJvbmljbGVzb2Z0ZXJyb3IucGwvZGxpYnJhL3Jlc3VsdHM_cT13aWVybmlrJmFjdGlvbj1TaW1wbGVTZWFyY2hBY3Rpb24mbWRpcmlkcz0mdHlwZT0tNiZzdGFydHN0cj1fYWxsJnA9MA&navref=MzE3OzMwNSAzMTU7MzAzIDI5MTsyNzk

https://www.ushmm.org/research/the-center-for-advanced-holocaust-studies/miles-lerman-center-for-the-study-of-jewish-resistance/medals-of-resistance-award/treblinka-death-camp-revolt

Hero of the Week 46

Welcome back viewers.

This week's hero is...

Eugene Bullard!

Eugene Bullard was born on October 9, 1895 in Columbus, Georgia. As a child he and his family experienced terrible racism (including an incident where his father was almost lynched by a mob). He  decided to leave Georgia when he was only 11. He joined a group of gypsies who travelled around the country. Due to experiencing terrible racism around the US, Bullard decided to leave the country and go to Europe. By 1913, he was living in France as a boxer. Little did he know, that he would face a challenge even bigger than anything he had encountered in his life.

In 1914, World War I broke out in Europe. Bullard immediately enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. During the war, he received the Croix de Guerre for valor while fighting at the battle of Verdun (one of the bloodiest battles in history). In 1916, he joined the French Air Corps. For a while he served as a gunner, but he eventually became a pilot. For the next two years of the war, Bullard flew on more than 20 missions and shot down at least one enemy fighter. As a result he became the first African-American pilot in history. However his time in the French Air Corps ended when the United States entered the war in 1918. When this happened, Bullard was transferred to an American infantry unit for the rest of the war.

After World War I ended, Eugene Bullard moved to Paris where he started a family. In the late 1930s, Bullard joined a counter-intelligence network that spied on the Germans in Paris. He and his family fled to New York City when the Germans invaded France in 1940. There Bullard worked as an elevator operator. In 1959, he was made a knight of the French Legion of Honor by French President Charles de Gaulle. Eugene Bullard passed away two years later on October 12, 1961. Although Bullard was considered a hero in France, he never much recognition from the United States. It was not until 1994, when the American Air Force posthumously promoted Eugene Bullard to 2nd Lieutenant.

Throughout history, there are many people who have had the potential to do great things for the world but never get the opportunity. One of the biggest obstacles these people face is racism. Eugene Bullard was one of those individuals. He grew up facing vicious racism and yet never gave up on his trying make his way in the world. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/eugene-bullard-1895-1961

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/the-great-war-two-lives-eugene-bullard/

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/bullard-eugene-jacques-1894-1961

Hero of the Week 45

Welcome back viewers!

This weeks hero is...

Leslie Coffelt

Leslie Coffelt was born on August 15, 1910. He became a police officer in Washington DC in 1929. He was assigned to Precinct 3 along K Street. He later left the police force to serve in the Army during World War II. When the war was over, Coffelt returned to Washington to resume his career as a cop. He was eventually posted at the White House to serve as a secret service agent to President Harry Truman in 1945. He served there without serious incident for the next five years. However, nothing could have prepared him for what would happen on November 1, 1950.

On that day, President Truman was staying in a small townhouse in DC called the, Blair House. This was due to renovations being made at the White House that year. Coffelt was one of a number of agents that were standing guard outside the house. That afternoon, two armed men approached the Blair House and opened fire. The guards immediately returned fire and a two minute gunfight ensued.

During the gunfight, Agent Coffelt was shot three times by one of the assailants. Despite the severity of his wounds, he managed to draw his weapon and kill his attacker with a shot to the head. The second gunman was taken down by other agents. 

When it was over, one man (an assassin) was dead and four (three agents and one assassin) had been severely wounded. Leslie Coffelt was rushed to the hospital where doctors tried to save his life. Sadly he died there four hours after he had been shot. He was 40 years old. The other two agents both survived their wounds and the surviving assassin was sentenced to life in prison. President Truman was unharmed during the whole incident. Investigations later revealed that the two assassins were far-left nationalists from Puerto Rico who were angry at the US. They had hoped to gain attention for their cause by assassinating President Truman.

Agent Leslie Coffelt was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was the first and only individual to date who died while protecting the President of the United States from assassins. President Truman never forgot Agent Coffelt's sacrifice and stayed in contact with the latter's family for the rest of his life. For the last two centuries, many men and women have given their time and energy to protecting the president of the United States. Today, most people forget the courage and self-sacrifice that members of the Secret Service give. Agent Coffelt was one of those individuals. He gave his life to protect his president from a lethal assassin. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lcoffelt.htm

https://aproundtable.org/blog/secret-service-officer-leslie-coffelt/

Hero of the Week 44

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Douglas Munro

Douglas Munro was born on October 11, 1919 in Vancouver, Canada. His family later moved to Washington State. After he graduated from high school, Douglas attended a year of college before choosing to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard. Although he expected to protect America's shores, little did he know that the Coast Guard would be called to duty in a way he never could have expected.

When World War II began, Douglas Munro was one of many people who answered the call to duty. Although the US Coast Guard was used to protecting American shorelines, they quickly found themselves playing a major combat role in the American war effort in the Pacific. Their mission was to pilot small boats (called a Higgins Boat) carrying marines from ships to their landing zones on an enemy beach. They were also supposed to evacuate wounded marines and sailors. This usually had to be done while under heavy enemy fire. Their actions would make a key difference in the pivotal campaign on Guadalcanal.

On September 27, 1942, Signalman First Class Douglas Munro was part of a number of Coast Guardsman that were transporting around 500 marines to a beachhead on Guadalcanal called, Point Cruz. Their mission was to establish a patrol base in order to attack and drive the Japanese west of a key river (Matanikau River) on the island. Just minutes after the marines left the beach, they were ambushed by a large Japanese force. It became clear that the marines would all be killed unless someone came to their rescue. Munro was the first to volunteer.

Munro quickly led five Higgins boats to the beach in order to pick up the marines that were retreating from the jungle. As they got to the beach, the rescue boats began to receive heavy fire from the Japanese. In an act of complete courage, Munro placed his boat directly in the line of fire (in the river just beyond the beach) in order to draw enemy fire away from the other boats that were rescuing the marines. By doing this, he had also made it so that the Japanese would have to pass his boat in order to attack the others on the beach evacuating the marines. 

Since there were so many of them to evacuate and only five boats (including Munro's), multiple trips had to be made. Getting the wounded on board also made the evacuation painfully slow. Munro's boat received murderous fire from the Japanese guns in the jungle. It was not long before Douglas Munro was struck. However, he (along with his close friend, Raymond Evans) continued to fire back at the enemy using his boat's machine gun. After he was hit a second time, he did not get up. Luckily, all the surviving marines had been safely evacuated from Point Cruz. Munro's crew then quickly turned their boat around and headed away from the beach. As he was lying in his boat, Douglas Munro asked Evans, "Did they get off?". Those were his last words. 

Signalman First Class Douglas Munro died just minutes after his Higgins boat had pulled away from Point Cruz. He was 22 years old. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. He was the first member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive the highest award in the American military. As of today, he remains the only serviceman of the Coast Guard to receive it. His friend, Chief Signalman Raymond Evans, received the Navy Cross.

When it comes to combat in World War II and the many conflicts that followed, the actions of the U.S. Coast Guard are have not been largely acknowledged. Instead those who serve in the Coast Guard are mostly remembered for rescuing people along the American coastline. Many people have forgotten that the Coast Guard is a vital importance to the American military and have played several key roles in combat. Douglas Munro was one of these courageous individuals. He risked his life and made the ultimate sacrifice to save his comrades. As a direct result of his actions, more than 500 marines were successfully rescued from the ambush at Point Cruz. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2012/09/the-legacy-of-signalman-1st-class-douglas-munro/

http://www.dodlive.mil/2017/08/06/only-coast-guard-medal-of-honor-recipient-saved-500-marines/

https://veteransfuneralcare.com/blog/the-story-of-douglas-munro-the-only-member-of-the-coast-guard-to-receive-the-medal-of-honor

http://www.uscglightshipsailors.org/mil_stories/CMH/

Hero of the Week 43

Welcome back viewers!

This week we will honor a team of heroes.

They are...

The crew of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station!

The Pea Island Life-Saving Station was located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In the year 1880, it became the first and only lifesaving station to be operated by an African-American crew. The person chosen to be the keeper of the station was a former slave named, Richard Etheridge. And he and his crew would take part in a daring rescue that would make them heroes.

Etheridge had served in a colored unit in the Civil War. Upon his discharge from the military he joined the Life-Saving service. His skill as a surf man led to his assignment to the station on Pea Island. Due to his skin color, no white men agreed to work with Etheridge at the station (they felt that working under a former slave was too degrading). Therefore, his entire crew would be made up of African-American men. They were: Benjamin Bowser, Lewis Wescott, Dorman Pugh, Theodore Meekins, Stanley Wise, and William Irving. Although Etheridge and his crew frequently faced racism from the very same people that they were protecting, they continued to operate the lighthouse. Their defining moment would come on October 11, 1896.

On that day, a violent storm blew in along the eastern coast of the North Carolina. It was not long before the men on Pea Island noticed a distress flare. They then spotted a three-masted schooner (E.S. Newman) that had run aground about two miles offshore. Etheridge quickly prepared his crew for a rescue of the Newman's passengers and crew. They then launched a surfboat and paddled through the rough sea to the stricken schooner. Once they were there, they found they could not reach the vessel since it was not on dry land. Etheridge realized that there was no room for failure. He made the decision to tie his surfmen together and connected them to the shore by a long rope. The surf men then fought their way through the breaking waves as they went from the schooner to dry land at least ten times. They did this until all of the passengers and crew of the E.S. Newman had been safely evacuated from their ship. 

Despite their heroism, Richard Etheridge and his brave crew of surf men were never officially recognized for their actions. Never the less, the men remained dedicated to their duties at the Life-Saving Station on Pea Island. Richard Etheridge eventually died May 8, 1900 after serving twenty years at Pea Island. He was 58 years old. The station on Pea Island was decommissioned in 1947. For the next whole century, the brave rescue of the E.S. Newman by the men of Pea Island nearly faded into obscurity. It was not until 1996 (on the 100th anniversary of the rescue) that the United States Coast Guard finally recognized them. Richard Etheridge and his six crew members were all posthumously awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal.

Like many heroes before and after, the crew of the Pea Island Station went unrecognized for their heroism and service to our nation. To me the represent some of the best and most remarkable unsung heroes in American history. They lived in a country that did not see them as equal and found it in themselves to risk their lives to save others. It is because of people like them, that many others are alive today. They definitely deserve to always be remembered.

https://www.nps.gov/stateoftheparks/caha/culturalresources/lifesavingstation.cfm

https://blackthen.com/pea-island-life-saving-station-first-all-black-crew-in-the-country/

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2010/10/coast-guard-heroes-richard-etheridge/