OSWEGO COUNTY- The Oswego County Legislature issued a proclamation recognizing the 80th Anniversary of the 1942 U.S. Coast Guard Rescue, a disaster that occurred at the West Pierhead Lighthouse.
On Dec. 4, 1942, a severe storm hit Lake Ontario as a boat of U.S. Coast Guardsmen traveled to the Oswego Lighthouse to relieve Boatswain’s Mate First Class Petty Officer Karl Jackson of his post. Jackson, keeping watch at the West Pierhead Lighthouse, had been stranded there for three days due to severe weather. The storm produced 65 mph winds and large waves.
On the morning of Dec. 4, winds had slightly subsided and a Pickett boat started its journey from the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Oswego to the lighthouse to relieve Jackson. On board were the station’s commanding officer Alston Wilson, relief keepers Bert Egelston and Carl Sprague, as well as eight U.S. Coast Guardsmen.
Even though they had been battered and beaten by the extraordinary weather conditions, the crew was able to relieve Jackson of his post. Unfortunately, nature’s fury ultimately consumed their vessel; the boat’s engine failed, and the vessel capsized.
Four of the men on board were able to reach the east arrowhead breakwater wall; however, six U.S. Coast Guardsmen perished in the disaster: Lt. j.g., Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Station Oswego Altson Wilson; Boatswain’s Mate First Class Karl Jackson; Boatswain’s Mate Second Class Eugene J. Sisson; Machinist’s Mate Second Class Ralph J. Sprau; Seaman First Class Leslie J. Holdsworth and Seaman Second Class Irving Ginsburg.
The H. Lee White Maritime Museum recently honored the six men that bravely lost their lives in the line of duty by naming a newly acquired pontoon boat after them. The boat is named “Honored Six Lighthouse Tender.” The new boat is part of the museum’s educational lighthouse tours and preservation efforts.
The museum commemorated the anniversary with a private ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center. More than 125 people were in attendance, including U.S. Coast Guardsmen, auxiliaries, first responders, elected officials, family members of the fallen men and members and volunteers from the museum.
Representatives from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, Captain Mark Kuperman and U.S. Coast Guard District 9 out of Cleveland Chaplain Jason Arant attended the event. A wreath was laid near the spot of the accident by the crew of the Oswego Station.
Retired minister and Town of Oswego Historian George DeMass offered the invocation. USCG Chaplain Arant offered the benediction.
Canal Corporations Director Brian Stratton read a letter from Governor Kathy Hochul and representative of the governor’s office Tracy DiGenova was in attendance.
Also in attendance were Mark Cisternino and Linda Mandal, children of one of the survivors, and Bob Gode, grandson of another survivor.
“This is a joy for me to be out here today because this is one of the nice events – this is an opportunity where the community, I feel, has really taken a chance to embrace what we do as the Coast Guard, and so it’s good to see,” Kuperman said.
“There’s lots of different ways that you can respond to a tragedy. I feel like at an absolute minimum, you grieve [and] you show sorrow; but this community here in Oswego has done way more than that. I feel like the community has embraced and made this part of their culture – that every couple years they take the Coast Guard under their wing and come out and recognize all the good work that’s taken place. To me, if you have a tragedy, that’s the most you could ask for – is that it acts as something that really forms a tether to the community. And I feel like that’s what’s happening here.”
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