Coast Guard honor for rescue 'bittersweet,' Tucsonan says

Arizona Daily Star ^ | Alexis Huicochea

[SandRat]

What was supposed to be a fun family vacation for John "Jay" Rosenberry turned into a nightmare when his son and daughter and two others struggled to get out of a riptide that was pulling them out to sea.

Rosenberry, a Tucson resident, was honored last week by the U.S. Coast Guard for saving the lives of his children, as well as that of another young boy.

He received the Silver Lifesaving Medal at a ceremony in Virginia on Friday — nearly two years after the incident occurred July 24, 2006, at Portsmouth Island, just off the coast of North Carolina.

[EagleUSA]

Semper Peratus. USCG - 1961-1965. They save alot of lives.

[SandRat]

This Thread’s for You TONK.

[Bahbah]

That’s nice, SandRat.

The work that the Coast Guard did after the canal walls gave way in New Orleans was the most amazing rescue operation mounted since the English Channel rescue of the English Army in WWII. No one seems to have noticed.

[SandRat]

We on FR did.

[AZamericonnie]

"I'm not the type to go around talking about something like that," he said. "I appreciate the fact that the Coast Guard recognized me, but it's kind of bittersweet because a life was lost and I'd rather not have the medal and have Mark back alive."

Spoken like a honorable man & true hero.

I imagine Tonk would have been proud.

[Bahbah]

Yes, we did. They were magnificent. I read the amazing details of that operation. All of it here.