Carnegie Medal Honorees
Carnegie Medal
Five men who tried to rescue the three Coast Guardsmen after their surfboat capsized were awarded prestigious Carnegie Medals for their valor.
Below are the official summaries from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which annually honor civilians who “voluntarily risk his or her own life, knowingly, to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the life of another person.”
Russell W. Anderson with wife, Dora. This photo was taken in the general time frame of the Lee grounding.
RUSSELL WALDO ANDERSON
Manomet, Massachusetts
Russell Waldo Anderson, 23, carpenter, helped to rescue William H. Cashman, 34, boatswain’s mate, and Earl F. Sampson, 21, Coast Guardsman, from drowning, Manomet, Massachusetts, March 10, 1928. (See case of JOHN F. HORGAN.) Anderson, who was not in good physical condition when he started to the rescue, was tired and chilled when he reached shore.
HERBERT B. EDDY
White Horse Beach, Massachusetts
Herbert B. Eddy, 39, fisherman, helped to rescue Joseph E. Ducharme, 22, and Edward P. Stark, 28, Coast Guardsmen, from drowning, Manomet, Massachusetts, March 10, 1928. (See case of JOHN F. HORGAN.) Ducharme and Stark were members of the crew of the capsized surf boat. Eddy rowed a leaky dory with great exertion 900 from the shore to the surf boat and helped Ducharme into the dory. Daniel J. Sullivan went with Eddy and bailed almost constantly. Eddy rowed about 55 feet to Stark, and Sullivan tried unsuccessfully to pull Stark into the dory. Sullivan then tried to bail with one hand while he retained his hold of Stark with the other. A motorboat arrived, and Sullivan was relieved of Stark. Eddy rowed to shore. Ducharme collapsed on shore, but he recovered. Stark and others, who were clinging to the surf boat, were taken aboard the motorboat. Stark died before he could be taken to the hospital.
ELMER T. HARPER
White Horse Beach, Massachusetts
Elmer T. Harper, 26, carpenter, helped to rescue William H. Cashman, 34, boatswain’s mate, and Earl F. Sampson, 21, Coast Guardsman, from drowning, Manomet, Massachusetts, March 10, 1928. (See case of JOHN F. HORGAN.) When Harper reached the shore, he was tired, and his hands were almost frozen.
John Horgan at retirement. Photo courtesy Marian Desilets
JOHN F. HORGAN
Arlington, Massachusetts
John F. Horgan, 33, state policeman, helped to rescue William H. Cashman, 34, boatswain’s mate, and Earl F. Sampson, 21, Coast Guardsman, from drowning, Manomet, Massachusetts, March 10, 1928. While Cashman and a crew of seven men, including Sampson, were trying to row to the shore of Cape Cod Bay in a surf boat, the boat capsized about a quarter-mile from the shore and all were thrown into the water. Cashman got hold of a large oar and swam toward shore. Sampson, who wore a life preserver, drifted away from the boat. Some of the men held to the boat. The air was below the freezing point, and the water was ice cold. There were waves six to eight feet high and several lines of breakers near shore. Horgan, who was a poor swimmer, went in a dory, which was rowed by Elmer T. Harper and Russell Waldo Anderson through very rough water for 750 feet to Cashman. Much water leaked into the dory, and Horgan bailed constantly. While the dory rose and fell in the rough water and was in constant danger of capsizing, Horgan and Anderson with great difficulty pulled Cashman into the dory. Horgan bailed as Harper and Anderson maneuvered the dory 300 feet to Sampson. Horgan with an oar at the stern then kept the dory headed as nearly as possible into the waves as Sampson was lifted into the dory by Harper and Anderson. The dory was then rowed about 900 feet to the capsized surf boat, and a brief effort was made to tow that craft. Another dory arrived, and Horgan’s companions then rowed to shore. Cashman died soon after being taken to shore. Sampson was in the hospital five days but recovered.
DANIEL J. SULLIVAN
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Daniel J. Sullivan, 32, sealer, helped to rescue Joseph E. Ducharme, 22, and Edward P. Stark, 28, Coast Guardsmen, from drowning, Manomet, Massachusetts, March 10, 1928. (See case of JOHN F. HORGAN.)
