Forrest O. Rednour
Encyclopedia
Forrest O. Rednour was a United States Coast Guard
sman who received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal
posthumously for his actions during World War II
.
, Illinois
, on 13 May 1923. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard
at Chicago, Illinois, on 19 June 1941.
During the predawn darkness of 3 February 1943, Rednour, wearing a rubber
suit to ward off hypothermia
, was among the members of the crew of the United States Coast Guard Cutter
USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)
who voluntarily subjected themselves to pounding seas and bitter cold in the winter North Atlantic darkness for nearly four hours to rescue survivors from the torpedo
ed United States Army Transport USAT Dorchester
. Realizing the "... danger of being crushed between the raft
s and the ship's side, or of being struck by a propeller
blade if the engines backed, he swam in under the counter of the constantly maneuvering Escanaba and prevented many floating survivors from being caught in the suction of the screws
, in one instance retrieving a loaded raft." Rednour worked the longest of all retrievers and accounted for the greatest number of survivors, but finally had to quit when his rubber suit became torn.
Rednour perished early on the morning of 13 June 1943 when Escanaba disintegrated in a massive explosion of undertermined cause in the North Atlantic Ocean off Ivituut, Greenland
, with a loss of 101 of the 103 men aboard.
destroyer escort
USS Rednour (DE-592) was named for Forrest Rednour. She was converted into a high-speed transport during construction and was in commission
as such as USS Rednour (APD-102)
from 1944 to 1946.
The United States Coast Guards Forrest O. Rednour Memorial Award Program For Excellence in Food Service/Food Service Specialist of the Year also is named for Rednour.
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...
sman who received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the second highest non-combatant medal awarded by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps...
posthumously for his actions during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Forrest Orin Rednour was born in CutlerCutler, Illinois
Cutler is a village in Perry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 543 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cutler is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
, 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,...
, on 13 May 1923. He enlisted in 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...
at Chicago, Illinois, on 19 June 1941.
During the predawn darkness of 3 February 1943, Rednour, wearing a rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
suit to ward off hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
, was among the members of the crew of the United States Coast Guard Cutter
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)
USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)
The United States Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba was an "A" class cutter stationed on the Great Lakes from her commissioning in 1932 until the start of US military involvement in World War II in 1941...
who voluntarily subjected themselves to pounding seas and bitter cold in the winter North Atlantic darkness for nearly four hours to rescue survivors from the torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed United States Army Transport USAT Dorchester
USAT Dorchester
USAT Dorchester was a United States Army Transport ship that was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat on February 3, 1943, during World War II...
. Realizing the "... danger of being crushed between the raft
Raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
s and the ship's side, or of being struck by a propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
blade if the engines backed, he swam in under the counter of the constantly maneuvering Escanaba and prevented many floating survivors from being caught in the suction of the screws
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
, in one instance retrieving a loaded raft." Rednour worked the longest of all retrievers and accounted for the greatest number of survivors, but finally had to quit when his rubber suit became torn.
Rednour perished early on the morning of 13 June 1943 when Escanaba disintegrated in a massive explosion of undertermined cause in the North Atlantic Ocean off Ivituut, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, with a loss of 101 of the 103 men aboard.
Awards
Rednour was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroic action during the Dorchester rescue operations of 3 February 1943.Namesakes
The United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
USS Rednour (DE-592) was named for Forrest Rednour. She was converted into a high-speed transport during construction and was in commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
as such as USS Rednour (APD-102)
USS Rednour (APD-102)
USS Rednour , ex-DE-592, was a United States Navy high-speed transport in commission from 1944 to 1946.-Construction and commissioning:...
from 1944 to 1946.
The United States Coast Guards Forrest O. Rednour Memorial Award Program For Excellence in Food Service/Food Service Specialist of the Year also is named for Rednour.