Al Dickgieser:  

Greetings I retired from the USCG in 1982,after 9.5 years in the US Navy and serving on 4 ships and 2 shore stations. The USS Vermilion AKA-107, Norfolk, VA,. USS Sacramento AOE-1, Seattle, WA., USS Luzerne County LST-902, Vietnam, and the USS Ogden LPD-5, San Diego, CA. US Navy Radio Sta., Driver, VA and US Naval Air Station Alameda, CA. I received my discharge for the USN and enlisted in the USCG the same day and spend 10.5 years in the US Coast Guard. The highlight of my US Coast Guard career was when I was station on board the USCGC Cape Horn WPB 95322, a 95' Patrol Boat home ported in Woods Hole, MA., as a QMC and Executive Petty Officer. We were on Mass. Bay Patrol on 7 Feb 1980 and received a Mayday from the F/V Hattie Rose, a Gloucester based 75' stern trawler that was taking on water 15 miles off Cape Cod. Due to weather conditions 50/60 knot winds and 25' seas and poor visibility in the middle of the night the CG would not deploy an air rescue. At 11:58pm, 40 minutes after the 6 crew members of the Hattie Rose donned survival suit and tied themselves together and went into the water. As we were pulling them on board the CGC Cape Horn, the line broke and the last 2 crew members on the line went under the stern, using the spotlight and with the reflective tape on their survival suits, we were able to retrieve the last 2 crew members and head back into port. At times we were taking rolls up to 70 degrees, which didn't help in our rescue. We arrived back in Provincetown, MA. at 3:30 am. to happy family members that had drove down from Gloucester,MA. to meet the Cape Horn. We were awarded the Navy League Award for the most heroic rescue for 1980, and the Life Saving Medal from the City of Gloucester. Its hard to describe the feelings and emotions that you have when you rescue someone that thinks that they are not going to be rescued. Between the US Navy and the US Coast Guard I have visited 19 countries. After I retired from the USCG, I have worked for America C...Expand for more