Oscar G Chappell was an Able Seaman with the United States Merchant Marines.
In 1942, Oscar Chappell was serving on an oil tanker named SS Dixie Arrow that was struck by three torpedoes from the German U-boat U-71 that resulted in the ship and surrounding sea being engulfed by fire and explosions. Seaman Chappell,
injured by the explosions, heroically stayed at the helm of the ship and saved seven of his
shipmates from burning to death by turning the ship into the wind and redirecting the flames from
his trapped shipmates onto himself and the wheelhouse. Placing his own safety beyond all
considerations, his last thought and act was to assure the survival of his imperiled
shipmates.
Due to his heroism, the Navy League Of The United States created The Able Seaman Oscar Chappell Award "for outstanding maritime stewardship has been presented since 2000 to a Military Sealift Command civil service unlicensed crewmember who displays selfless dedication to shipmates". SS Oscar Chappell Oscar Chappell 1962 standard 01943-09-29 29 September 1943 01943-11-10 10 November 1943 Scrapped 1958
--References--
1. http://www.navyleague.org/