John Allen Midgett Jr.

John Allen Midgett Jr. (August 25, 1876 - February 9, 1938) was a senior enlisted member of first the United States Life-Saving Service, and later the United States Coast Guard.[1][2][3]

John Allen Midgett Jr.
John Allen Midgett was recognized by the UK government for saving UK seamen in 1918.jpg
BornAugust 25, 1876
Rodanthe, North Carolina
DiedFebruary 9, 1938
Norfolk, Virginia
NationalityUnited States

Biography

Midgett grew up on Cape Hatteras, on the outer banks of the North Carolina coast, and like his father and other family members, he enlisted in the Life–Saving Service in 1898.[4] Midgett remained in command of a life–saving station when the United States Revenue Cutter Service merged with the Life–Saving Service to form the Coast Guard in 1915.

On August 16, 1918, Midgett was the keeper of the Chicamacomico Lifeboat Station when he led his power surfboat crew on the celebrated rescue of the 42 crew members of the British tanker Mirlo.[1][3][5][6][7][8] The UK Board of Trade awarded Midgett a silver cup in 1918, and he was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal six years later.

In 1992 the Coast Guard renamed the USCGC Midgett to the USCGC John Midgett.[3]

Midgett was injured in an automobile accident in late 1937 and died on February 9, 1938.[2]

Legacy

According to the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography Midgett was friends with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and his funeral was attended by a number of congressmen.

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References
  1. Dennis L. Noble (2005). "Rescued By The U.S. Coast Guard: Great Acts Of Heroism Since 1878". Naval Institute Press. pp. 92–95. ISBN 9781591146254. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  2. William S. Powell; William Stevens Powell, eds. (1991). "Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: L-O". University of North Carolina Press. pp. 265–266. ISBN 9780807819180. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  3. Don Midgette (2007). "Capt. John Allen Midgett & The Mirlo Rescue". North Caroline Genealogy. Archived from the original on 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  4. "Coast Guard and the Southeastern Coast". The Patriot Files. Retrieved 2013-01-14. Most notable among the Outer Banks life-savers is the renown Midgett family, who have patrolled the beaches of the Outer Banks since at least the 1790s. Even among other heroic families of Hatteras, the Midgetts are considered mighty men. Claiming one hero in a family is usually considered legendary. Yet, over the years ten men of the mighty Midgetts have been awarded Life-Saving Medals of Honor, a record that remains unsurpassed in the history of the Life–Saving Service and the current day Coast Guard.
  5. William Preston. "Heroic and Notable Coast Guard CPOs". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  6. "Who are some of the heroes of the Coast Guard?". United States Coast Guard. 2012-12-03. Archived from the original on 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  7. Don Wharton (1957). "The Mighty Midgetts of Hatteras: For Nine Decades, this Extraordinary Family Has Made a Specialty of Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Seamen". Reader's Digest Association. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  8. "Ethnohistorical Description of the Eight Villages adjoining Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Interpretive Themes of History and Heritage" (PDF). National Park Service. November 2005. p. 431. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
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