Edgar Culbertson
Encyclopedia
Coast Guardsman - Boatswain Mate First Class (BM1) "Ed" Edgar A. Culbertson, 32, of Ferndale, Michigan
, born October 13, 1935 lost his life on April 30, 1967 while trying to rescue three teenagers in Duluth, Minnesota
. He was a Korean War
Veteran, and had served in the Coast Guard since 1952.
. Three teenage brothers were seen on the north pier break wall of the Duluth entry during a horrific storm. Meteorologist and Minnesota residents often refer to this day as "Black Sunday," describing the fierce 1967 Southern Minnesota tornado outbreak
, with reports of heavy rain as far north as Duluth that day. The waves on Lake Superior in Duluth were reportedly over 20 feet high at times that night; the lake had 36 degree water with gale force winds gusting up to 45 MPH.
BM1 Edgar Culbertson, along with two other Coast Guardsmen; Boatswain Mate 2nd Class Richard R. Callahan
, 21, of Cicero
, Illinois
; and Fireman Ronald C. Prei
, 21, of St. Francis, Wisconsin
braved the storm and ventured out along the pier in search of the missing teenagers. A witness reported seeing the teenagers caught in the storm on the pier while one of the boys was swept over the side by a large wave. Local resident and friend of Ed Culbertson, Captain Tom Mackay, recalled the evening of this infamous storm as being so windy and rough it blew the chimney down on the Mackay house which was a few miles from the north pier break wall of the Duluth entry and farther down Park Point (Minnesota).
The three rescuers tethered themselves together with a rope spaced 25’ apart and began searching the pier with a lantern. They struggled through the storm to the end of the pier, but did not find the missing boys who had already been swept over the side themselves before the Coast Guardsmen could save them. As the team of rescuers shuffled back along the pier to safety another large wave crashed into the team, knocking BM1 Edgar Culbertson over the side and away from the others. He was soon found on the beach by his shipmates but it was too late, he had been killed trying to save lives.
A permanent marker, honoring the brave acts of BM1 Edgar Culbertson, was placed on the pier by the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center near the spot where Culbertson perished. Culbertson is one of only two Coast Guardsmen to have died in the line of duty while serving in Minnesota on Lake Superior
, the other was EN3 Keith Brubaker
who fell overboard and perished on July 11, 1967 while serving the Station North Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota
.
The original bronze plaque was erected later that year after Culbertson gave his life to the vicious storm. However, in the early 1980s the plaque was removed when the pier was widened and reinforced. Captain Tom Mackay, then a Captain for the Vista Fleet and President of the International Shipmasters Association (ISMA) Twin Ports Lodge #12 realized the plaque had not been reinstalled after the improvements. Fearing that his friend, and fellow sailor would be forgotten forever, Mackay rallied those at the ISMA to help him locate the plaque and have it reinstalled. Shortly after, fellow members of the ISMA found the plaque in storage and it was reinstalled on the new pier so BM1 Edgar Culbertson could continue to be memorialized as the only known member of the United States Coast Guard
to lose his life in Duluth in service to his country and community of Duluth, Minnesota
.
BM1 Edgar Culbertson was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal
as well as BM2 Richard R. Callahan
, FN Ronald C. Prei
who were also awarded the Coast Guard Medal
. The Coast Guard Medal
is the highest peace time medal awarded in recognition of heroism. At the time, it had only been awarded to 44 people before this event.
. Twin 16-year old boys and a 17-year old brother had been seen running along the jetty challenging the 10 to 15-foot waves when witnesses observed a huge wave sweep one boy into the water. When two boys were reported stranded at the light, Petty Officer CULBERTSON and two comrades volunteered to attempt the rescue. Lashing themselves together, the three men proceeded, with hand lanterns as the only illumination, to the end of the breakwater. Despite the high waves, winds gusting to 40 knots, driving rain and 36 degree water, the rescue party diligently searched the breakwater and light but found no trace of the boys. While returning to the beach a 20-foot wave swept Petty Officer CULBERTSON off his feet and hurled him up to and over the breakwater parapet into the sea. Despite the strenuous efforts of his teammates, Petty Officer CULBERTSON perished in this gallant rescue attempt. His outstanding courage, intrepidity, initiative, and unselfish actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard
.
in Washington, DC during National Police Week in May 2010. Culbertson will be the 17th member of the United States Coast Guard
to receive this honor.
Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
, born October 13, 1935 lost his life on April 30, 1967 while trying to rescue three teenagers in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. He was a Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
Veteran, and had served in the Coast Guard since 1952.
Rescue
The rescue crew had been stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. Three teenage brothers were seen on the north pier break wall of the Duluth entry during a horrific storm. Meteorologist and Minnesota residents often refer to this day as "Black Sunday," describing the fierce 1967 Southern Minnesota tornado outbreak
1967 Southern Minnesota tornado outbreak
The 1967 Southern Minnesota tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that affected portions of south central and southeast Minnesota on Sunday, April 30, 1967. The outbreak spawned a total of nine tornadoes resulting in thirteen deaths and eighty injuries...
, with reports of heavy rain as far north as Duluth that day. The waves on Lake Superior in Duluth were reportedly over 20 feet high at times that night; the lake had 36 degree water with gale force winds gusting up to 45 MPH.
BM1 Edgar Culbertson, along with two other Coast Guardsmen; Boatswain Mate 2nd Class Richard R. Callahan
Richard R. Callahan
Coast Guardsman - Boatswain Mate Second Class Richard R. Callahan of Cicero, Illinois was awarded the Coast Guard Medal for heroic life saving actions along with two comrades....
, 21, of Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; and Fireman Ronald C. Prei
Ronald C. Prei
Ronald C. Prei was a Coast Guard Fireman of St. Francis, Wisconsin who was awarded the Coast Guard Medal for heroic life saving actions along with two comrades.-Rescue:...
, 21, of St. Francis, Wisconsin
St. Francis, Wisconsin
St. Francis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,662. It is the smallest incorporated city in Milwaukee County.-Geography:St. Francis is located at ....
braved the storm and ventured out along the pier in search of the missing teenagers. A witness reported seeing the teenagers caught in the storm on the pier while one of the boys was swept over the side by a large wave. Local resident and friend of Ed Culbertson, Captain Tom Mackay, recalled the evening of this infamous storm as being so windy and rough it blew the chimney down on the Mackay house which was a few miles from the north pier break wall of the Duluth entry and farther down Park Point (Minnesota).
The three rescuers tethered themselves together with a rope spaced 25’ apart and began searching the pier with a lantern. They struggled through the storm to the end of the pier, but did not find the missing boys who had already been swept over the side themselves before the Coast Guardsmen could save them. As the team of rescuers shuffled back along the pier to safety another large wave crashed into the team, knocking BM1 Edgar Culbertson over the side and away from the others. He was soon found on the beach by his shipmates but it was too late, he had been killed trying to save lives.
A permanent marker, honoring the brave acts of BM1 Edgar Culbertson, was placed on the pier by the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center near the spot where Culbertson perished. Culbertson is one of only two Coast Guardsmen to have died in the line of duty while serving in Minnesota on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, the other was EN3 Keith Brubaker
Keith Brubaker
Keith M. Brubaker was a member of the United States Coast Guard who lost his life in service to his country in 1967.- Biography:Coast Guardsman - Engineman Third Class Keith Michael Brubaker, 22, of Warren, Michigan, born March 24, 1945 lost his life on July 11, 1967 while in service to his...
who fell overboard and perished on July 11, 1967 while serving the Station North Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grand Marais is a city in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,351 at the 2010 census. It is also the county seat of Cook County...
.
The original bronze plaque was erected later that year after Culbertson gave his life to the vicious storm. However, in the early 1980s the plaque was removed when the pier was widened and reinforced. Captain Tom Mackay, then a Captain for the Vista Fleet and President of the International Shipmasters Association (ISMA) Twin Ports Lodge #12 realized the plaque had not been reinstalled after the improvements. Fearing that his friend, and fellow sailor would be forgotten forever, Mackay rallied those at the ISMA to help him locate the plaque and have it reinstalled. Shortly after, fellow members of the ISMA found the plaque in storage and it was reinstalled on the new pier so BM1 Edgar Culbertson could continue to be memorialized as the only known member of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
to lose his life in Duluth in service to his country and community of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
BM1 Edgar Culbertson was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal
Coast Guard Medal
The Coast Guard Medal is a decoration of the United States military that is awarded to any service member who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Coast Guard, distinguishes themselves by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy...
as well as BM2 Richard R. Callahan
Richard R. Callahan
Coast Guardsman - Boatswain Mate Second Class Richard R. Callahan of Cicero, Illinois was awarded the Coast Guard Medal for heroic life saving actions along with two comrades....
, FN Ronald C. Prei
Ronald C. Prei
Ronald C. Prei was a Coast Guard Fireman of St. Francis, Wisconsin who was awarded the Coast Guard Medal for heroic life saving actions along with two comrades.-Rescue:...
who were also awarded the Coast Guard Medal
Coast Guard Medal
The Coast Guard Medal is a decoration of the United States military that is awarded to any service member who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Coast Guard, distinguishes themselves by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy...
. The Coast Guard Medal
Coast Guard Medal
The Coast Guard Medal is a decoration of the United States military that is awarded to any service member who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Coast Guard, distinguishes themselves by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy...
is the highest peace time medal awarded in recognition of heroism. At the time, it had only been awarded to 44 people before this event.
Coast Guard Medal citation
For heroism on the evening of April 30, 1967 while engaged in searching for two teen-age boys reportedly stranded at the Duluth Entry North Breakwater Light, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Twin 16-year old boys and a 17-year old brother had been seen running along the jetty challenging the 10 to 15-foot waves when witnesses observed a huge wave sweep one boy into the water. When two boys were reported stranded at the light, Petty Officer CULBERTSON and two comrades volunteered to attempt the rescue. Lashing themselves together, the three men proceeded, with hand lanterns as the only illumination, to the end of the breakwater. Despite the high waves, winds gusting to 40 knots, driving rain and 36 degree water, the rescue party diligently searched the breakwater and light but found no trace of the boys. While returning to the beach a 20-foot wave swept Petty Officer CULBERTSON off his feet and hurled him up to and over the breakwater parapet into the sea. Despite the strenuous efforts of his teammates, Petty Officer CULBERTSON perished in this gallant rescue attempt. His outstanding courage, intrepidity, initiative, and unselfish actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
.
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Petty Officer Edgar Culbertson has been selected for inclusion on the National Law Enforcement Officers MemorialNational Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, honors the nearly 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout history. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was established by former U.S...
in Washington, DC during National Police Week in May 2010. Culbertson will be the 17th member of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
to receive this honor.
Read More
- Seeing The Light
- U.S. Coast Guard Visual Imagery
- http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=SP|&p_product=SP&p_theme=realcities2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_site=twincities&s_trackval=SP&p_text_search-0=lake%20AND%20superiors%20AND%20fury%20AND%20recalled&s_dispstring=lake%20superiors%20fury%20recalled%20AND%20date(all)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=noSt. Paul Pioneer Press - Lake Superiors Fury Recalled]
- 40th Anniversary of Drownings - Duluth News Tribune
- Duluth Shipping News
- Northland News 6
- WDIO News Duluth
- Charlevoix Courier
- Northland News - Culbertson added to National Memorial
- WDIO News "Black Sunday" Hero Honored Nationally
- The Officer Down Memorial Page
- Duluth News Tribune
- Coast Guard Channel
- Duluth News Tribune
- Minneapolis Star Tribune - Coast Guard Hero added to Memorial
- Detroit News - Hero Recognized 43 Years After Rescue Attempt