FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Bernard C Webber ~ 20 July 2015

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Bernard C. Webber
All info and photos from this website.

One of the Coast Guard's legendary heroes, Senior Chief Petty Officer Bernard C. Webber (USCG Ret) died at his home in Melbourne, Florida Saturday, January 24, 2009. He is survived by his widow, Miriam (Pentinen) Webber, a daughter, Patricia Hamilton and her husband Bruce, two granddaughters, Leah and Hilary Hamilton of Shamong, NJ and North Eastham, a son, Bernard E. Webber and a grandson, Shane Webber of California.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Bernard C. Webber is one of the "Chatham Legends".

On February 18, 1952, he took the CG36500 out of Chatham Station with three volunteers-Seaman Ervin Maske, Seaman Richard Livesey and Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Fitzgerald, an Engineman, responding to the tanker Pendleton, which had broken in two off Chatham in a storm. Seaman Maske was at Chatham Station awaiting transport to the Lightship Stonehorse but remained ashore because the Coast Guard deemed the seas too rough to

transport him. He volunteered, along with the two Chatham Coast Guardsmen who volunteered to accompany Mr. Webber.

The Coast Guard crew faced 60 foot waves, hurricane force winds and blizzard conditions to rescue 33 sailors who survived the shipwreck. While the CG36500 was leaving Chatham Harbor, her compass and windshield were smashed and the rescue boat began shipping water. They persevered, and by dead reckoning they finally sighted the stern section of the Pendleton, where the ship's crew was awaiting rescue. They only lost one man-the ship's cook, George D. "Tiny" Myers,

The four who manned the rescue boat all received coveted Coast Guard Gold Life-saving Medals for their heroism in what is considered by maritime historians to be "The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History." Of the four, only Engineman Fitzgerald is still alive.

Senior Chief Webber was born in Milton, MA in 1928, the son of the late Rev. A. Bernard Webber and Annie Knight Webber. He was one of four sons --all of whom served in the U.S. Military during World War II-- Paul in the Army in Europe, Bob in the Coast Guard and Bill in the Army Transportation Corp.

When he was only 16, Bernie Webber joined the Merchant Marine Service and trained at Sheepshead Bay Maritime School in New York. When World War II ended, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and attended "boot camp" at Curtis Bay, MD. He was transferred to Cape Cod to serve Lighthouse duty at Highland Lighthouse in North Truro and later went to the Gay Head Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard. He first saw the CG36500 when he returned to Chatham for a visit. He was transferred to Chatham Station in 1949. After the Pendleton rescue, he transferred to Woods Hole and didn't return to Chatham until 1954 and served there only until 1955.

His final tour of duty at Chatham ended in 1963 when he was transferred to Cross Rip Lightship until it was decommissioned. Mr. Webber was reassigned to the CG Cutter Point Banks out of Woods Hole. From there he and the ship were ordered to Vietnam. When he returned from 'Nam, he was assigned to the Buoy Tender Hornbeam in Woods Hole and finally retired from the Coast Guard as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, serving as a Warrant Bosun (WO1), on September 1, 1966. During his time in this region, he also served at Nauset Lifeboat Station, Race Point Lifeboat Station, aboard a Coast Guard tug out of Southwest Harbor, Maine and the Nantucket Lightship.

Senior Chief Webber met his wife Miriam Pentinen, a native of Wellfleet, when he first served duty in North Truro. They were married July 16, 1950 in Milton in a ceremony performed by his father, Rev. A. Bernard Webber.

After he left the Coast Guard, Mr. Webber served as Wellfleet Harbor Master, reconditioned boats for Nauset Auto and Marine in Orleans, partnered on a charter boat out of Rock Harbor, Orleans. In "retirement" he worked for the National Audubon Society in Maine and later for Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine. He also worked in the marine field for dredging, towboat and salvage companies and even served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In his book, "Chatham: The Lifeboatmen", he wrote: "After 42 years of work on the sea, it became time to come home."

His widow Miriam said that Mr. Webber will be cremated and his remains will be interred with military honors in a family plot in Wellfleet on May 9, 2009.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families. This is a politics-free zone! Thanks for helping us in our mission!

To: Kathy in Alaska

Wow! Those are some dramatic shots!

41 posted on 07/19/2015 8:58:39 PM PDT by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!w)

I’ll have to pick some up.
Usually, I sleep like the dead.
Now, I just look like the walking dead.
;0(

42 posted on 07/19/2015 8:59:47 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)

To: Kartographer

Thank you, Kartographer.....

“Requiem For A Soldier”

You never lived to see
What you gave to me
One shining dream of hope and love
Life and liberty

With a host of brave unknown soldiers
For your company, you will live forever
Here in our memory

In fields of sacrifice
Heroes paid the price
Young men who died for old men’s wars
Gone to paradise

We are all one great band of brothers
And one day you’ll see we can live together
When all the world is free

I wish you’d lived to see
All you gave to me
Your shining dream of hope and love
Life and liberty

We are all one great band of brothers
And one day you’ll see - we can live together
When all the world is free

Songwriters: KAMEN, MICHAEL / MUSKER, FRANK
Requiem For A Soldier (Theme From Band Of Brothers) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

43 posted on 07/19/2015 9:03:49 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

To: Kathy in Alaska; GodBlessUSA; Mrs.Nooseman; AZamericonnie; HiJinx; Colonel_Flagg; BIGLOOK; ...

Sorry...just have to share this one....

The caption was"Can't make this stuff up! T-Shirt $7 Trip to event $50 Epic Photo: Priceless… ‪#‎OhHillNo‬ "

44 posted on 07/19/2015 9:07:37 PM PDT by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!w)

LOL!
God, she’s such a dip!

45 posted on 07/19/2015 9:23:32 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)

To: SandRat; LUV W

I know, I know....back to the salt mines.

46 posted on 07/19/2015 9:31:20 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

To: Soaring Feather

Very weird weather....hot, cold, hot, cold....good evening, Ms Feather...*hugs*

I hate humidity!!! There is no getting comfortable.

So happy you got to visit with the precious little one.

47 posted on 07/19/2015 9:37:26 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

To: Kathy in Alaska

48 posted on 07/19/2015 9:43:06 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

Good evening/morning, Mooch. A great story, indeed.

Hope your summer is going well, and your air conditioning is behaving.

49 posted on 07/19/2015 9:48:29 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

Headed to bed early. The heat takes a lot out of me.

50 posted on 07/19/2015 9:49:20 PM PDT by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)

Insomnia...not fun. Hope you can sleep tonight. ((HUGS))

51 posted on 07/19/2015 9:54:35 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

LOL!

I hope it’s true...she is dumber than a stump, but much more dangerous as she hasn’t an ethical bone in her body.

52 posted on 07/19/2015 10:03:54 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

To: Kathy in Alaska; LUV W; Publius; All

I’m gonna head out..
Off to me bedchamber!
To sleep, perchance to dream..
LOL
Yeesh, I’m babbling!

Love to all and hugs alla round!

53 posted on 07/19/2015 10:11:20 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)

Good night, Publius, and rest well. Thanks for all the tidbits about the various songs and their artists. Thanks for helping honor the troops, and thank you for your service to our country.

54 posted on 07/19/2015 10:11:31 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

Good night and rest well, MS B...*HUGS*
Thanks for all you do for our troops.

55 posted on 07/19/2015 10:12:57 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

56 posted on 07/19/2015 10:20:56 PM PDT by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!w)

Nighty-night! Have you been into the wine again! ;)

57 posted on 07/19/2015 10:23:07 PM PDT by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!w)

To: Kathy in Alaska

Thanks, Kathy. My AC is on, but the heat wave is horrible. I have a fan going as well.

58 posted on 07/19/2015 10:23:55 PM PDT by MoochPooch (I'm a compassionate cynic.)

To: Kathy in Alaska

She is definitely dangerous because there are so many voters that are dumber than she is!

To them it’s all about “a woman in the white house”. She is no woman! LOL!

59 posted on 07/19/2015 10:24:33 PM PDT by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!w)

60 posted on 07/19/2015 10:41:18 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))

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