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AUXILIARIST KILLED IN IRAQ
By Steven Herman, Branch Chief, New Bureau, BC-AXE
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| PFC Kevin Scott Wessel |
YAQUINA BAY, OR - Services are pending for a young Army private who has become the first known Coast Guard
Auxiliarist to be killed during the current military operations in Iraq.
Private First Class Kevin Scott Wessel, 20, of Newport, Ore. died last Tuesday in Baghdad when a car bomb
detonated near him while he was on foot patrol, according to the U.S. Defense Department. Spc. Jacob Pfister, 27, of Buffalo,
N.Y., also was killed by the improvised xplosive device.
PFC Wessel was a member of Flotilla 69 in Yaquina Bay, Ore.
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski asked that flags be flown at half-staff Monday (April 25) in honor of Wessel,
whose services are pending. "It is sad to hear of the death of another soldier from Oregon," Kulongoski said in a statement.
"We are seeing once again that war is taking a heavy toll on our nation's service men and woman, as well as their families
and friends."
Flotillla 69 members say PFC Wessel moved from Hawaii to Oregon after graduating from high school in 2003.
He dreamed of becoming a Coast Guard surfman at Station Yaquina Bay and, in the meantime, decided to join the flotilla.
LeOra Johnson, who was Flotilla Commander at the time PFC Wessel expressed interest in joining, recalls he
took the New Member Examination just one day after he received the Auxiliary's Resource Guide and voluminous Manual. "He had
read them cover to cover the night before. He took the exam, passing it with a perfect score," said Johnson.
Flotilla members say PFC Wessel was a quick study, partly because he had undergone extensive training with
the Sea Cadets in Hawaii. Johnson says PFC Wessel participated in area familiarization missions and that "his physical condition
and endurance was extraordinary."
As reports from Iraq came in, flotilla members noted that PFC Wessel talked about wanting to go there and
do his part. "He said he tried to enlist in the Coast Guard, but there was a two-year wait at that time before he would be
called up," Johnson recalls. "However, he wanted to go now."
PFC Wessel enlisted after speaking with an Army recruiter. He was told that the Army would take him right
away.
After being deployed to Iraq, PFC Wessel maintained contact via e-mail with his flotilla members back in Oregon.
"His messages were so descriptive, we could almost feel as though we were there with him," said Johnson. "When his e-mail
messages suddenly stopped, we thought and hoped perhaps he was on a mission where he didn't have internet access. But, sadly,
that was not the case."
Race Morningstar, a former Coast Guardsman and current Auxiliary member from Alsea, Ore. said PFC Wessel was
"really gung-ho. He was just willing to go out and do things." Morningstar adds that PFC Wessel "was a hell of a kid. He would
have turned into a hell of a man."
Johnson says that PFC Wessel was "where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do; he felt he could make
a difference.
PFC Wessel and Spec. Pfister, the other soldier killed in the attack, were both assigned to the 3rd Battalion,
7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Coast Guard Petty Officer
3rd Class Nathan Bruckenthal
First Coast Guardsman killed while serving in Iraq.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Bruckenthal served at Station Neah Bay from spring 2001 to summer 2003. Bruckenthal
was assigned to Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, Detachment 403. He was killed in the Persian Gulf during a suicide bombing
attack on an Iraqi oil terminal. He is the son of Ric Bruckenthal of Northport, N.Y., and Laurie Bullock of Ashburn, Va.
Bruckenthal will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He leaves behind his 23-year-old wife, who is three months pregnant.
Check this site for the full story: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/nbbruckenthal.htm
The Bruckenthal Memorial Fund is being established
for the family by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation office at Coast Guard Integrated Support Command Miami. People wishing
to donate money to the Bruckenthal family may send checks or money orders payable to the "COAST GUARD MORALE FUND". They are
also collecting baby items and notes of condolences. All checks, money orders, cards and baby items are to be mailed to:
U. S. Coast Guard Richmond Hts MWR Rec Center
15403 SW 123 Avenue
Miami, Fl 33177
ATTN: Bruckenthal Memorial Fund
All proceeds
will be presented to his widow and family at a date to be determined by the Command.
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I'm sure I'm not the only Coastiewife
whose heart jumped into her throat at the news of this death and whose heart now goes out to Mrs. Bruckenthal and her family.
I'm sure I'm also not the only one whose husband assured that this was something that doesn't happen often and is only one
of three occurrences. However, upon further research I've discovered a LOT more than three members of the Coast Guard have
valiantly given their lives in combat and maneuvers. So, in order to help dispell that idiotic question we're all tired of
hearing "Is the Coast Guard military?" and give tribute to just a few of the Coastguardsmen who made the ultimate sacrifice,
I give you the list below:
Coast Guard Casualties
The following were members of the Coast Guard cutter
Seneca during World War I and were posthumously awarded a Navy Cross for services in attempting to save the British merchant
steamer Wellington after she had been torpedoed by a German submarine, and who lost their lives when the Wellington foundered
on September 17, 1918.
Water Tender William H. Best
Cook Elam Russell
Coxswain Carl S. Newbury
Tender Martin M. Ovesen
Boy 1st class James
J. Nevins
Seaman William H. Prime
Acting Machinist William L. Boyce - awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
Coxswain Merton Stellenwerf
Water Tender Raymond H. Tingard
Assistant Master at Arms August Zuleger
ARM 1st class
Benjamin Bottoms was a Coast Guard
radio operator assigned to the Northland's aircraft on the Greenland Patrol during World War II. He was killed when his aircraft,
piloted by LT John Pritchard, crashed while attempting to rescue a downed Army Air Force B-17 crew in Greenland.
Lieutenant (j.g.) David Brostrom was the commanding officer of the cutter Point Welcome
during a tour of duty with Operation Market Time in the Republic of Vietnam. In a tragic "friendly fire" incident, several
U.S. Air Force aircraft mistakenly attacked the Point Welcome while she was on patrol during the night of 11 August 1966.
As soon as the Point Welcome was illuminated by flares dropped by the Air Force aircraft, he raced to the bridge, calling
out orders to his crew. He was killed as he reached the bridge.
Captain John Cahoone commanded the cutter
Vigilant during its engagement with the British privateer Dart during the War of 1812. The Dart had preyed upon Yankee shipping
in Long Island Sound for some time, taking 20 to 30 vessels. She appeared off Newport on 4 October 1813 with two freshly caught
prizes, and this braggadocio proved her undoing. Capt. Cahoone took 20 Navy volunteers on board to augment his regular crew
and made sail to engage the brazen Britisher. Vigilant boldly sailed well within gun range of the more heavily armed sloop
and loosed a broadside, which stunned the privateer. A boarding party from the revenue cutter quickly scrambled aboard the
enemy vessel as she brushed alongside her quarry and quickly carried the Briton. Vigilant lost two men in the engagement, both of whom fell into the water and drowned
while attempting to board.
F 1/c Paul Leaman Clark was awarded a
Navy Cross, one of only six awarded to Coast Guardsmen during World War II, for his actions during the invasion of North Africa
in November 1942. His citation reads: "For extraordinary heroism while serving as engineer of a landing boat attached to the
USS JOSEPH T. DICKMAN during the assault on and occupation of French Morocco from November 8 to 11, 1942. When
a hostile plane strafed his boat with machinegun fire, mortally wounding the bow man and severely injuring the coxswain, Clark
with quick initiative immediately withdrew from the beach. Speeding toward the USS PALMER, he placed
the wounded men aboard and, although his craft was riddled by enemy bullets, courageously returned to his station at the beach."
Lieutenant T. James Crotty was an expert on mine recovery and served with United States
forces in the Philippines at the start of the Second World War. There he carried out special demolition work during the retreat
of American and Filipino forces from Bataan to Corregidor. He then served as the executive officer of the USS Quail, which
swept clear channels to the island and also bombarded Japanese forces on Bataan. Crotty was captured by the Imperial Japanese
Army after the surrender of Corregidor in May 1942. He died later that fall of diphtheria. He was the only documented Coast
Guard prisoner of war during the 20th century.
Stewards-Mate First Class Charles Walter David,
Jr., was an African American Coast Guardsman
who served on board the cutter Comanche during World War II. When the Comanche came to the aid of the survivors of the torpedoed
transport Dorchester in the cold waters off Greenland, David volunteered to dive overboard to help rescue those in need--practicing
the newly devised "rescue retriever" technique. David repeatedly dived overboard in the frigid water to save several men.
He even saved the life of a fellow crewman, the Comanche's executive officer, LT Langford Anderson, when Anderson became unable
to pull himself out of the water due to exposure. David died a few days later from hypothermia contracted during his heroic
efforts to save the stricken survivors of the Dorchester and LT Anderson. He was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine
Corps Medal for his bravery.
First Assistant Keeper Walter B. Eberle, assigned to the Whale Rock Light Station in Rhode Island,
remained at his post on the night of 21 September 1938 when a hurricane hit the northeast coast. Eberle was killed when the
lighthouse was swept out to sea. He was a US Navy veteran, a master diver, and the father of six children. His body was never
recovered.
Lieutenant Gene R. Gislason was awarded
the Silver Star: "For outstanding heroism as Commanding Officer of the USS LCI(L)-94, while landing assault troops in Normandy
June 6, 1944. He successfully directed his ship through numerous beach obstacles to the proper
beach, discharged his troops
and retracted while his ship was seriously damaged from heavy enemy fire. Ship's communications, engine telegraph and electric steering were disabled by direct hits
on the pilothouse which killed three crewmen, and one screw and shaft were rendered inoperative by beach obstacles.
By his coolness under fire and excellent seamanship, Lieutenant Gislason overcame these difficulties and brought his ship
off the beach on hand steering and one screw. He later supervised repairs and in four hours
enabled the LCI(L) to remain
operative in the assault area for three weeks."
The following men were posthumously awarded the
Gold Lifesaving Medal for "heroic daring during a sea rescue" on 18 January 1953 while on board a Coast Guard PBM that crashed
offshore of mainland China while conducting a rescue of the crew of a Navy reconnaissance aircraft that had been shot down. They
were killed in the crash.
Chief Aviation Electronicsman Winfield J. Hammond
Aviation Machinists Mate 3rd
class Tracey W. Miller
Aviation Ordnanceman 1st
class Joseph R. Bridge
Lieutenant (j.g.) Gerald W. Stuart
Aviation Electronicsman
1st class Carl R. Tornell
Lieutenant (j.g.) Michael Kirkpatrick was the executive officer of the cutter Point Arden during
the conflict in Vietnam. While acting as the mount captain, directing harassment-and interdiction mortar fire against enemy
positions along the South Vietnamese coast on 9 August 1969, the mortar battery exploded, mortally wounding him.
Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions
at the Matanikau River, Guadalcanal on 27 September 1942. As coxswain of a 36-foot Higgins boat, Munro took charge of the
dozen craft which helped evacuate the surrounded elements of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines under the command of
Lieutenant
Colonel Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller. Shortly after the last marine got on board, Munro was shot and killed by enemy fire. He
is the only Coast Guardsman to have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Phillips was the commanding officer of the Coast Guard manned destroyer
escort USS Leopold during the Second World War. The Leopold, while escorting a convoy across the North Atlantic, was torpedoed
and sunk by a U-boat. He ensured that his men abandoned ship and did his utmost to encourage his men to survive in the frigid
waters until they were rescued. He did not survive.
Lieutenant Jack Rittichier began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force before accepting a commission with
the Coast Guard in 1963 and began his first Coast Guard assignment flying out of Air Station Elizabeth City. He quickly earned
a Unit Commendation for his rescue
work during Hurricane Betsy. In May 1966 he was assigned to Air Station Detroit and
was awarded the Air Medal in June 1967 for his role as the copilot of a helicopter that flew 150 miles from Detroit, in blinding
snow and ice conditions, to rescue eight seamen from the West German motor vessel Nordmeer. Rittichier was one of the first
three Coast Guard exchange pilots to volunteer to fly combat search and rescue missions with the Air Force's 37th Aerospace
Rescue and Recovery Squadron in the Republic of Vietnam. Within three weeks
of his arrival in Vietnam he demonstrated his
courage above and beyond the call of duty. Flying through heavy enemy fire to save four Army fliers, he earned a Distinguished
Flying Cross. Two weeks later, under the light of illumination flares, he pulled nine men from the side
of a mountain,
five of whom were badly wounded. On 9 June 1968, 37 miles west of Hue, Rittichier, along with his crew, attempted to rescue
a downed Marine Corps fighter pilot. After heavy enemy fire forced him to pull away during his first attempt to land,
he came around
again after the area had been swept by helicopter gunships. As he hovered near the Marine pilot, however,
enemy bullets riddled his HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant" helicopter and set it afire. He tried to pull away, but his aircraft
would not respond. The helicopter settled to the ground and exploded. Within 30 seconds a ball of fire consumed the aircraft,
killing all on board. During his distinguished career, he demonstrated a fearless determination to save lives at the risk
of his own. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters,
the Silver Star, a Purple Heart, and a Coast Guard Unit Commendation.
Captain Charles Satterlee was the commanding officer of the USCGC Tampa during the First World War. He was
killed in action when the Tampa was torpedoed and lost with all hands on September 26, 1918. He was posthumously awarded the
Distinguished Service Medal.
For more info about US Coast Guard
History click here.
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