Coast Guardsman – Boatswain Mate Second Class (BM2) Richard R. Callahan of

Cicero, Illinois Cicero is a town in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,268, making it the 11th-most populous municipality in Illinois. The town is named after Marcus Tullius Cicero, a R ...

(July 19, 1947 – June 6, 1967) was awarded the

Coast Guard Medal The Coast Guard Medal is a decoration of the United States military that is awarded to any service member who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Coast Guard, distinguishes themselves by heroism not involving actual conflict wi ...

for heroic life saving actions along with two comrades. Boatswain Mate First Class (BM1)

Edgar Culbertson Edgar A. Culbertson (October 13, 1935 – April 30, 1967) was a United States Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate First Class (BM1) who died while trying to rescue three teenage brothers during a fierce storm in Duluth, Minnesota. Rescue Meteorologists ...

, 32, of

Ferndale, Michigan Ferndale is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit on the Woodward Corridor, Ferndale borders Detroit to the north, roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a ...

lost his life on April 30, 1967, while trying to rescue three teenagers in

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

. Three teenage boys had been seen on the north pier break wall of the Duluth entry during a horrific storm. Meteorologist and Minnesota residents often refer to this day as Black Sunday describing the fierce

1967 Southern Minnesota tornado outbreak Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

, with reports of heavy rain as far north as Duluth that day. BM1

, along with two other coast guardsmen; Boatswain Mate 2nd Class Richard R. Callahan, 21, of

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

; and Fireman Ronald C. Prei, 21, of St. Francis, Wisconsin braved the storm and ventured out along the pier in search of the missing teenagers. A witness had reported seeing the teenagers caught in the storm on the pier while one of the boys was swept over the side by a huge wave. Local resident and friend of "Ed", Captain Tom Mackay, recalled the evening of this infamous storm as being so windy and rough it blew the chimney down on the Mackay house which was a few miles from the north pier break wall of the Duluth entry and farther down Park Point. The three coast guardsmen connected themselves to each other by tying between them. They struggled through the storm to the end of the pier but did not find the missing boys, who had already been swept over the side themselves before the coast guardsmen could save them. As the team of rescuers shuffled back along the pier to safety another large wave crashed into the team, knocking BM1 Edgar Culbertson over the side and away from the others. He was soon found on the beach by his shipmates but it was too late, he had been killed trying to save lives. A permanent marker, honoring the brave acts of Edgar Culbertson, was placed on the pier near the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center near the spot where Culbertson perished. Culbertson is one of only two Coasties to have died in the line of duty while serving in Minnesota, the other was EN3 Keith Brubaker who fell overboard and perished on July 11, 1967, while serving the Station North Superior in

Grand Marais, Minnesota Grand Marais ( ) is a city and the county seat of Cook County, Minnesota, Cook County, Minnesota, United States, of which it is the only municipality. It is on Lake Superior's North Shore. Grand Marais had a population of 1,337 at the 2020 Unit ...

. The original bronze plaque was erected some time after Culbertson gave his life to the vicious storm. However, in the early 1980s the plaque was removed as the pier was widened and reinforced. Captain Tom Mackay, then a Captain for the Vista Fleet and president of the

International Shipmasters Association Established in 1886 as the Excelsior Marine Benevolent Association, in 1893 changed its name to Ship Masters' Association. This was a society among members of the profession, where in case of death of a member the widow or beneficiary A benefic ...

(ISMA) Twin Ports Lodge #12 realized the plaque had not been reinstalled. Fearing that his friend, and fellow sailor would be forgotten forever, Mackay rallied those at the ISMA to help him locate the plaque and have it reinstalled. A short time later, fellow members of the ISMA found the plaque in storage and had it reinstalled on the new pier so BM1 Edgar Culbertson could continue to be memorialized as the only known member of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

to lose his life in Duluth in service to his country and community of

. BM1

was posthumously awarded the

as well as BM2 Richard R. Callahan, FN Ronald C. Prei were awarded the

.U.S. Coast Guard Medal list
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Coast Guard Medal Citation

Date of Action: 30 April 1967 Date of Award: 17 August 1967 File:BM1 Culbertson.jpg, Edgar Culbertson plaque File:BM1 Edgar Culbertson (1).jpg, Edgar Culbertson plaque File:070430 BM1 Culbertson Memorial.jpg, 2007 Memorial Service File:1967 Duluth Storm.jpg, Great Duluth Storm of April 30, 1967 - Duluth Entry File:1967 Duluth breakwall.jpg, Great Duluth Storm of April 30, 1967 - Duluth Entry File:1967 Duluth canal breakwall DVIDS1091038.jpg, Great Duluth Storm of April 30, 1967 - Duluth Entry

Coast Guard Medal Citation

References

Further reading