Nathan Bruckenthal
Encyclopedia
Nathan B. "Nate" Bruckenthal (July 17, 1979 - April 24, 2004) was a Damage Controlman
Third Class
in the United States Coast Guard
. He was the first Coast Guardsman to die in wartime action since the Vietnam War
. Bruckenthal died along with two U.S. Navy
sailors intercepting a waterborne suicide attack on the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal off the coast of Iraq
in the northern Persian Gulf
.
Bruckenthal was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star
with Valor
and the Purple Heart
for his actions.
. He is the son of Ric Bruckenthal of Northport, New York
, and Laurie Bullock of Ashburn, Virginia
.
While growing up he had also lived in Hawaii
, Virginia
, and Connecticut
. Bruckenthal and his family lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut
from 1992 to 1995, where he was a volunteer firefighter from 1997 to 1998.
In 2001 he met his future wife, Pattie, while serving at Station Neah Bay. Patti was a university student studying the Makah Indian tribe when Bruckenthal gave the students a tour of the Station.
Bruckenthal intended to continue his public service by becoming a police officer or firefighter after completing his Coast Guard service and finishing college. He is survived by his wife, Pattie, and his daughter, Harper Natalie Bruckenthal, born after his death.
Petty Officer Bruckenthal is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
.
Point Wells, based out of Montauk, New York
, prior to attending Damage Controlman "A" School. After school he was assigned to Station Neah Bay
in the northwest corner of Washington on the Makah Indian Reservation
.
His next assignment was to Tactical Law Enforcement
(TACLET) Team South, at Coast Guard Air Station Miami
. Bruckenthal's first tour to the Persian Gulf region was from April to June, 2003. He departed home for his second deployment in February 2004 and was due to return that June. During both tours his detachment, LEDET 403, was assigned to the USS Firebolt
.
An account of the attack is included in an issue of the Coast Guard Reserve magazine.
Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi of Al-Qaeda in Iraq
claimed responsibility for the attack.
with Valor
, the Purple Heart
, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
. On his first Persian Gulf deployment he was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
and the Combat Action Ribbon
.
Petty Officer Bruckenthal is the first Coast Guardsman to be killed in action in military conflict since the Vietnam War
. Bruckenthal's death is noted in an article listing Jewish servicemen killed in Iraq.
on the CGC Point Wells, which was homeported in Montauk, New York
.
Damage Controlman
Damage Controlman are the Navy's and Coast Guard’s maintenance and emergency repair specialist.Coast Guard Damage Controlmen assigned to cutters are responsible for maintaining watertight integrity, emergency equipment associated with firefighting and Shipboard flooding; plumbing repairs; welding...
Third Class
Petty Officer Third Class
U.S. NavyGood conductvariationU.S. NavyPetty officerthird classinsigniaPetty officer third class is the fourth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above seaman and below petty officer second class, and is the lowest rank of non-commissioned officer, equivalent to a corporal in...
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...
. He was the first Coast Guardsman to die in wartime action since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Bruckenthal died along with two U.S. Navy
United 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...
sailors intercepting a waterborne suicide attack on the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal off the coast of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the northern Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Bruckenthal was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with Valor
Valor device
The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...
and the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
for his actions.
Biography
Bruckenthal was born in Stony Brook, New YorkStony Brook, New York
Stony Brook is a hamlet located in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, which is on the North Shore of Long Island...
. He is the son of Ric Bruckenthal of Northport, New York
Northport, New York
Northport is a village in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 7,606. Students attend the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District....
, and Laurie Bullock of Ashburn, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia is a census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, northwest of Washington, D.C., and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area...
.
While growing up he had also lived in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Bruckenthal and his family lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
from 1992 to 1995, where he was a volunteer firefighter from 1997 to 1998.
In 2001 he met his future wife, Pattie, while serving at Station Neah Bay. Patti was a university student studying the Makah Indian tribe when Bruckenthal gave the students a tour of the Station.
Bruckenthal intended to continue his public service by becoming a police officer or firefighter after completing his Coast Guard service and finishing college. He is survived by his wife, Pattie, and his daughter, Harper Natalie Bruckenthal, born after his death.
Petty Officer Bruckenthal is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Coast Guard service
Bruckenthal joined the Coast Guard on January 5, 1999. He served on the Coast Guard CutterUnited 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...
Point Wells, based out of Montauk, New York
Montauk, New York
Montauk [ˈmɒntɒk] is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name located in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 3,851 as of 2000...
, prior to attending Damage Controlman "A" School. After school he was assigned to Station Neah Bay
Neah Bay, Washington
Neah Bay is a census-designated place on the Makah Indian reservation in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 794 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Neah Bay is located at ....
in the northwest corner of Washington on the Makah Indian Reservation
Makah Reservation
Makah Reservation is an Indian reservation for the Makah located on the most northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, Washington, USA. The northern boundary of the reservation is the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The western boundary is the Pacific Ocean. It has a land area of and a...
.
His next assignment was to Tactical Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement Detachments
Law Enforcement Detachments or LEDETs are specialized, deployable maritime law enforcement teams of the United States Coast Guard. First established in 1982, their primary mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct and support law enforcement, interdiction, or security...
(TACLET) Team South, at Coast Guard Air Station Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Bruckenthal's first tour to the Persian Gulf region was from April to June, 2003. He departed home for his second deployment in February 2004 and was due to return that June. During both tours his detachment, LEDET 403, was assigned to the USS Firebolt
USS Firebolt (PC-10)
USS Firebolt is the 10th member of the Cyclone-class of coastal patrol boats. She is a vessel with a crew of approximately 30 sailors, normally homeported at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. Her armament includes two Mk38 chain guns, two Mk19 automatic grenade launchers, and...
.
Attack in the Persian Gulf
Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi of Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Awards and decorations
Bruckenthal was posthumously awarded the Bronze StarBronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with Valor
Valor device
The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...
, the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is a United States armed forces military award created by George W. Bush on March 12, 2003 by Executive Order 13289. It recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11,...
. On his first Persian Gulf deployment he was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
and the Combat Action Ribbon
Combat Action Ribbon
The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or...
.
| Bronze Star Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the... with Valor device Valor device The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor... |
|
| Purple Heart Purple Heart The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York... |
|
| Combat Action Ribbon Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or... |
|
| Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy... |
|
| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is a United States armed forces military award created by George W. Bush on March 12, 2003 by Executive Order 13289. It recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11,... |
Petty Officer Bruckenthal is the first Coast Guardsman to be killed in action in military conflict since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Bruckenthal's death is noted in an article listing Jewish servicemen killed in Iraq.
Namesake
The Unaccompanied Personnel Housing building at Station Montauk is named in honor of DC3 Nathan Bruckenthal. He served as a firemanSeaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
on the CGC Point Wells, which was homeported in Montauk, New York
Montauk, New York
Montauk [ˈmɒntɒk] is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name located in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 3,851 as of 2000...
.
External links
- Nathan Bruckenthal: Heroes in the War on Terror by the U.S. Department of Defense.
- Official Press Release by the U.S. Coast Guard.