Bernard Challen Webber (May 9, 1928 – January 24, 2009) was a
United States coast guardsman.
["Bernard C. Webber, USCG, 1928-2009", Coast Guard Heroes, U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office][ He was a petty officer assigned to Coast Guard Station ]Chatham, Massachusetts
Chatham () is a New England town, town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Chatham is located at the southeastern tip of Cape Cod and has historically been a fishing community. First settled by th ...
, where one of his duties was that of coxswain
The coxswain ( or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the wiktionary:cockboat, cockboat, a ...
of '' Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36500''. Webber and his crew of three rescued the crew of the stricken T2 tanker
The T2 tanker, or T2, was a class of oil tanker constructed and produced in large numbers in the United States during World War II. Only the T3 tankers were larger "navy oilers" of the period. Some 533 T2s were built between 1940 and the end of 1 ...
, which had broken in half during a storm on February 18, 1952 off Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...
. Webber maneuvered the 36-foot lifeboat under ''Pendleton''s stern as the tanker's crew, trapped in the stern section, abandoned the wreck of their ship on a Jacob's ladder
Jacob's Ladder () is a ladder or staircase leading to Heaven that was featured in a dream the Biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28).
The significance of the dream has been de ...
into the Coast Guard motor lifeboat.
Career
Webber and his crew of three – Engineman Third Class Andrew Fitzgerald, Seaman
Seaman may refer to:
* Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew
* Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies
* Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name)
* ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...
Richard Livesey, and Seaman Ervin Maske – saved 32 of the 33 crewmen who were on the stern section of SS ''Pendleton'' when the ship broke in two. There were no survivors among the ship's crew in the bow section, which was found the next day by another rescue vessel. All four Coast Guardsmen were awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their heroic actions.[Kroll, p 25]
Webber served in the Merchant Marine during World War II, then joined the Coast Guard in 1946. At the time of the ''Pendleton'' rescue Webber was serving as a boatswain's mate first class at Coast Guard Station Chatham. He rose to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer
Chief warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries.
Canadian Armed Forces
In the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member (NCM) rank for army and air fo ...
(Boatswain specialty) during a 20-year military career that included a tour during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
as a part of Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy, Republic of Vietnam Navy and Royal Australian Navy operation begun in 1965 to stop the flow of troops, war material, and supplies by sea, coast, and rivers, from North Vietnam into parts of Sout ...
.
Personal life
Webber was born in Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Milton is an immediate southern suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. The population was 28,630 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
Milton is located in the relatively hilly ...
, the son of Anne (Knight) and Reverend A. Bernard Webber.[Webster, W. Russell; "A Tribute: Bernie Webber, CWO (Ret.)", U.S. Coast Guard History Program, U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office] He was married to Miriam Penttinen. Webber died on January 24, 2009. He had two children: Patricia Webber Hamilton and Bernard E. Webber.
Awards
* Gold Lifesaving Medal
* Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal
*American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had per ...
*World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945.
Histo ...
*National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...
*Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. ...
*Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal (), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949 and awarded during the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War ...
Legacy
The first-in-class , was named in his honor.[Lagan, Christopher, "First Sentinel Class cutter named for CG hero Webber", Coast Guard Compass, Official CG Blog] She was commissioned on 14 April 2012 at her home port of Miami, Florida.
A history of the rescue of the men of ''Pendleton'' and ''Mercer'', including Bernard Webber's heroic role in the rescue of the men from the stern of ''Pendleton'', was presented in the 2009 book ''The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue'', by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. This book was later reissued in a "young adult" edition and adapted into a 2016 feature film, '' The Finest Hours'' by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is an American film distributor within the Disney Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Company. It handles theatrical and occasional digital distribution, marketing, and promotion for films produced and ...
, depicting the ''Pendleton'' rescue with Chris Pine portraying Webber.[Lamothe, Dan; "The real-life story behind Disney's forthcoming Coast Guard rescue movie, 'The Finest Hours'", Washington Post]
Webber's memoir was published in 2015, titled ''Lightships, Lighthouses, and Lifeboat Stations: A Memoir and History'' ().[Webber, (2015)]
References
Additional reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Webber, Bernard C.
1928 births
2009 deaths
United States Coast Guard officers
United States Coast Guard personnel of the Vietnam War
People from Milton, Massachusetts
Recipients of the Gold Lifesaving Medal
United States Merchant Mariners of World War II
Military personnel from Massachusetts