Bernard C. Webber
| Bernard C. Webber | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
May 9, 1928 Milton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 24, 2009 (aged 80) |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Coast GuardUnited States Merchant Marine |
| Rank |
 Boatswain's Mate First Class
|
| Battles/wars | Leading a remarkable maritime rescue, facing hurricane force winds |
Bernard Challen Webber (May 9, 1928 – January 24, 2009) was a United States Coast Guardsman. He was a petty officer assigned to Station Chatham, Massachusetts, and part of his duties were that of coxswain of Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36500. Webber and his crew of three rescued the crew of the stricken T2 tanker SS Pendleton, which had broken in half during a horrific storm on February 18, 1952 off Cape Cod. Webber maneuvered the 36-foot lifeboat under Pendleton's stern with expert skill as the tanker's crew, trapped in the stern section, abandoned the wreck of their ship on a Jacobs ladder into the Coast Guard motor lifeboat.
Webber and his crew of three – Engineman Third Class Andrew Fitzgerald, Seaman 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. (The remaining members of the ship's full crew were on the bow section and died when it broke off and sank.) All four Coast Guardsmen were awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their heroic actions. Their successful rescue operation has been noted as one of the greatest in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Webber was a veteran of the Merchant Marine during World War II and joined the Coast Guard in 1946. At the time of the Pendleton rescue Webber was serving as a boatswain's mate first class at Station Chatham. He rose to the rank of chief warrant officer during a 20-year military career that included a tour during the Vietnam War as a part of Operation Market Time.
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