William C. Hart was a sailor in the United States Coast Guard.[1] He first enlisted on September 3, 1924, when he was 26 years old. He was promoted to Boatswain's mate and was in command of CG-213 when it effected a daring rescue of a stranded tugboat in November 1926. During this rescue Hart dived into dangerous seas to rescue a member of the tug's crew who had fallen overboard. According to his Coast Guard biography: "Hart jumped overboard and affected the rescue at great personal risk, as the two vessels were not more than 8 feet apart in the raging seas." For this act of heroism Hart was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal. In 1927 his heroism in fighting a gasoline fire earned him a commendation.
William C. Hart | |
|---|---|
 William C. Hart as a Lieutenant (junior grade) | |
| Born | May 22, 1898 |
| Died | February 12, 1963 (aged 64) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | sailor |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1924-1932, 1939-1950 |
| Rank | LT |
| Conflict | World War II |
| Awards | Gold Lifesaving Medal |
In 1933 to 1939 Hart served in the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he rose to warrant officer.[1] He re-enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1939, and was quickly promoted to chief boatswain's mate. When the US entered World War II Hart was promoted to lieutenant. Hart retired from the Coast Guard in 1950.
Legacy edit
In 2010, Charles "Skip" W. Bowen, who was then the Coast Guard's most senior non-commissioned officer, proposed that all 58 cutters in the Sentinel class should be named after enlisted sailors in the Coast Guard, or one of its precursor services, who were recognized for their heroism.[2][3][4] In 2014 the Coast Guard announced that the 34th cutter would be named the USCGC William Hart.[5] The William Hart is homeported in Honolulu.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ a b Christopher Havern (2015-02-19). "Coast Guard Heroes: William C. Hart". Coast Guard Compass. Archived from the original on 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
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Susan Schept (2010-03-22). "Enlisted heroes honored". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
After the passing of several well-known Coast Guard heroes last year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" Bowen mentioned in his blog that the Coast Guard does not do enough to honor its fallen heroes.
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"U.S. Coast Guard announces name for first Sentinel-class cutter". 2010-03-22. Archived from the original on 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
Previously designated to be named the Coast Guard Cutter Sentinel, the cutter Bernard C. Webber will be the first of the service's new 153-foot patrol cutters. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen approved the change of the cutter's name to allow this class of vessels to be named after outstanding enlisted members who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. This will be the first class of cutters to be named exclusively for enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.
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"FRC Plan B: The Sentinel Class". Defense Industry Daily. 2014-05-02. Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-04-03.
All of these boats will be named after enlisted Coast Guard heroes, who distinguished themselves in USCG or military service. The first 25 have been named, but only 8 have been commissioned...
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"Acquisition Update: Coast Guard Reveals Names of FRCs 26-35". US Coast Guard. 2015-02-27. Archived from the original on 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
The Coast Guard recently announced the names of the 26th through 35th Sentinel-class fast response cutters through a series of posts on its official blog, the Coast Guard Compass.