FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Bernard C Webber ~ 23 August 2021

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do! For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ 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!                                                 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Biggirl! Glad to see you just had rain! Any flooding for you?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Yes, indeed...Onward to Monday!

[luvie]

In honor of the beautiful full moon outside!
It's the Sturgeon Moon for August

3rd Force~In The Full Moon Light

Herbie Mann/Cissy Houston~Cajun Moon

Lawson Rollins~Moonlight Samba

Mannheim Steamroller~Full Moon

Sting/Herbie Hancock~Sister Moon

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Got everything ready to go for tomorrow? It’ll be nice if they don’t toss too many surprises at you this week.

[ExTexasRedhead]

I Took the Last Picture of a Good Man - August 20, 2021| Lisa Tourtelot

It’s just a fraction of a second when he smiled honestly down at another Marine. I began to wonder if I’d been the unlikely person to take the last picture of Chris Raible.

https://thewarhorse.org/grieving-marine-takes-last-photo-of-good-man/?fbclid=IwAR24BzDsXmu8DksXWvQH3hFTJ-6XI3LrTzHP4xZnzc1fe9B0SAhuxyDnY-s

[radu]

Howdy, PRO.

has it cooled off enough you could get out a bit to enjoy the weekend?

We cooled off a bit for several days but the thermostat is getting cranked back up for this week. I’m almost ready for Fall.

[null and void]

We still have a Korean era VMA 211 coffee mug.

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

I missed out on a cool shot of the rising moon this evening. It was coming up from behind a cloud and was big and orange. But I was in the car on my way to the store when I saw it. No camera with me. Drat.

[PROCON]

Hiya radu!

We are in a cooling off period, thank goodness.

Since the wildfire smoke has disappeared it's been great getting outside again.

Son was over last night for dinner and hanging out and today I helped Robin do some replanting of her indoor plants that needed repotting.

The nip of Fall is in the air, we're suppose to get into the '40's tonight which is a relief so I finally put a blanket on the bed to get ready for the chill.

Any museum time this weekend?

[The Mayor]

No rain, just hot and humid here.

I have a chiropractor appt tomorrow night.
I hoping he can help my upper back, it’s been painful
due to the high humidity.

[luvie]

Hey there, radu!

WHAT?? No camera? You should always have your camera handy. No tellin’ when you’ll see a great shot and don’t want to miss it. I’ll bet that moon was gorgeous. I missed the rising, too, but there are too many houses in our area. I’d have to get in the car and find a vacant lot. LOL!

[radu]

I don’t have a cell phone and I don’t lug the camera around all the time.
We have a small hill with woods on it on the east side of the farm and we don’t see the moon until it’s up pretty far. I could see it much lower from the highway but wouldn’t have been able to get a shot because I was driving. It was mighty pretty though.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, luvie...what a guy, for sure. Most fitting picture...thanks.

[luvie]

I’ll bet it was, and there will be other moons and other times when you do have the camera handy. :)

[luvie]

Thank you, Kathy. We can’t do enough to give them the honor they truly deserve. Their sacrifice is magnificent and awesome and I feel so undeserving.

[Kathy in Alaska]

A full moon? Alas....it’s been drizzling for a couple hours. *sigh*

At least I can listen to some “moon” music. Thanks, luvie.

[luvie]

Darn! Of all nights for it to be drizzly! Well, you do need the rain and I hope you get enough to help. The tunes will always be here. :)

[Kathy in Alaska]

What a story...thanks, ETR. RIP LtCol Chris “Otis” Raible.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

How's everyone doing this morning?