From the Feb. 15, 2009, Northwest Herald (McHenry County, Illinois). Hebron, Illinois, is a very small village located in McHenry County by the Wisconsin border.
The Village of Hebron is proud of their 1952 state high school basketball championship team (their water tower is painted like a basketball), but it is also the home of a Medal of Honor winner. The article was in honor of the 64th anniversary of the death of Elmer Charles Bigelow, who gave his life fighting a fire on the destroyer USS Fletcher.
On February 14, 1945, he was a fireman aboard the USS Fletcher at Corregidor Island, Philippines, when a 6-inch Japanese shell from shore crashed into the ship, exploding and killing several men. The shell set fire to the No. 1 gun magazine and to several powder cases.
Bigelow picked up a fire extinguisher and rushed below, refusing to waste time donning a breathing apparatus. Smoke seared his lungs, but he put the fire out and saved the ship. Unfortunately, he died from his effort.
During World War II, 16.1 million served, but only 464 Medals of Honor were given out. Bigelow's was one of 266 awarded posthumously.
A Hero of the Highest Order. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
No comments:
Post a Comment