Miracle at Attu

Bill Peterson

Description

A Miracle at Attu: The Rescue of CG-1600 is an historic nonfiction account documenting the phenomenal rescue of nine survivors from a U. S. Coast Guard HC-130H that crashed on a logistics mission to the remote Coast Guard Long Range Navigation Station on Attu Island Alaska. Be prepared as you are transported back in time to a cold isolated mountain on Attu for a truly remarkable rescue. It is an inspiring and emotional story of human error, courage, bravery, and survival. It takes a special mindset to go into harm's way and fly into the storm so others may live. You will come to know and see the many perspectives of the rescue through the eyes of the survivors, and the crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Mellon, LORAN Station Attu, Rescue-1602, and Rescue-1425. The author guides the reader to feel the tension, risk, and danger to locate and rescue the downed crew. Alaska and particularly the remote Western Aleutian Islands pose a unique and unforgiving operating environment. Weather is constantly poor with high winds, poor visibility, low clouds, precipitation, and high sea states. High speed vessel transits are extremely risky as there are no navigational aids and near shore nautical charting is unreliable. Helicopter operations are always risky due to low ceilings, limited visibility, high gusty winds, and steep mountains right down to the water's edge. You will feel as if you are right in the cockpit, on the side of the mountain, on the Mellon flight deck and bridge as the rescue team works against all odds to save their fellow aviators and shipmates.

Sujets

• Miracle
• États-Unis
• History of the Americas
• Military history
• USA
• Histoire

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 05 décembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781506902883
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

CDRJim Wright ,CGAS Kodiak Operations Officer- “How powerless I felt as the helicopter inchedits way up the side of the mountain in the fog, rain, and wind to thesurvivors. We on the C-130 vividly could imagine that the helo crew was actingmore like an ATV than a rotary wing aircraft, without the benefit of wheels onthe ground. This was the most complex and remote a SAR case I have ever beenassociated with in my 20 years in the Coast Guard. We had so many people doingselfless work…AVDET, Mellon, LORAN Station, Shemya AFB, and other CGAS Kodiakcrews. Seeing the photos of wreckage and knowing how bad the weather was, I wastotally astounded that we had survivors.”

CAPTJim Sabo ,CGC Mellon Operations Officer- “Upon reflection on the CG-1600 operation over30 years later, I believe there was a coming together of too many factors to beconsidered coincidence. Call it fate, luck, or divine intervention, but Mellon,with the personnel involved, became the right tool, at the right time, and inthe right place to successfully prosecute this mission…someone was looking outfor those survivors. The Coast Guard is, however, Always Ready…Semper Paratus.It is staffed with personnel who will ‘always’ demonstrate Honor, Respect,Devotion to Duty, and Courage.”

Sgt.Darlene J. Turner ,Kodiak Post Commander, Alaska State Troopers (Retired )- “ Captain Peterson’s andCaptain Wallace’s book, “A Miracle at Attu”, is mesmerizing and a true jawclincher… I could not walk away from it. The danger and hazards the pilots andcrews face every day in Alaska would give most others pause. This bookdemonstrates the true passion and courage these brave men showed during avery stressful rescue. It is a chilling, gut wrenching and inspirationalaccount of an impossible rescue. The men and women of the USCG have my utmostrespect. Fantastic job Bill and Mike.”
A Miracle at ATTU: TheRescue of CG-1600
Copyright ©2016 BillPeterson

ISBN978-1506-902-98-2 HC/CL
ISBN978-1506-902-87-6 PBK
ISBN978-1506-902-88-3 EBOOK

LCCN2016952576

September2016

Publishedand Distributed by
FirstEdition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O.Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .

Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Peterson,Bill
A Miracle at ATTU: TheRescue of CG-1600 /
written by BillPeterson.
p. cm.
ISBN978-1506-902-87-6 pbk, 978-1506-902-88-3 digital

1. HISTORY / Military/ U.S. Coast Guard. 2. / Alaska. 3. / Aviation.

A11195
AMiracle at ATTU:
TheRescue of CG-1600


By
CAPTAINBill Peterson (USCG ret.)
with
CAPTAINMike Wallace (USCG ret.)
Dedicated To the men and women of the U.S. CoastGuard- Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty
Preface
U.S. Coast Guard personnel have gone into harm’s way to rescue and assist othersfor 226 years (1790-2016). In 1982 the U. S. Coast Guard responded to 68,552search and rescue cases saving 5,675 lives. [1] This book is an historic nonfiction account documenting one of those rescues. Thiswas a unique rescue as it involved a U. S. Coast Guard HC-130H that crashed ona logistics mission to the remote Coast Guard Long Range Navigation Station onAttu Island Alaska. The names and events described in this book were deriveddirectly from first-hand accounts provided by Coast Guard logs, records, newsreleases, and interviews obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. Iused my own notes and knowledge as the rescue pilot, as well as my co-pilot’s,to describe the rescue as it unfolded. I supplemented the official documentswith additional survivor and rescuer interviews conducted over 30 years afterthe mishap. Several hundred hours of hours of research was completed tocorroborate the facts presented in the book. No characters were added, no nameschanged, and no events fabricated.
TheCoast Guard was more than a job for me, it was a “calling” and I would say formost that made it a career. It takes a special person to go into harm’s way andfly into the storm so others may live. I was both honored and blessed to haveserved with the most dedicated and professional men and women for over 30 years(1972-2005) in the Coast Guard.
Itis my hope this book serves three purposes: to describe the selfless actions ofthe men and women of the U. S. Coast Guard who conducted the rescue; to raiseawareness of the work the Coast Guard accomplishes in service of our nation;and to help raise awareness of Coast Guard Aviation “flying into the storm”during our 100 th anniversary celebration (1916-2016).
Foreword
AMiracle at Attu: The Rescue of CG-1600 is an inspiring and emotional story ofhuman error, courage, bravery, and survival. CAPT Bill Peterson’s extraordinaryaccount of the phenomenal rescue efforts following the crash of CG-1600 in themountains of Attu Island is gripping and emotional. CAPT Peterson’s words guidethe reader to feel the tension, the danger, the risk, and the determination tolocate the downed C-130, as well as find and rescue all of the crewmembers andpassengers.
Thisis a miraculous story of personal sacrifice and exceptional courage brought tous through the eyes of a young rescue pilot. He documents the heroic actions ofall involved in the rescue including the surviving crewmembers. He captures therescue effort by putting the reader right in the cockpit with him. The readerwill feel how physically and psychologically draining the rescue effort was…foreveryone involved.
Thedecision making process on board CGC Mellon , so vividly described, isone lesson that everyone should learn (or relearn). Having spent much of myadult life flying Coast Guard helicopters in Alaska, the detail anddescriptions are incredible.
CAPTPeterson puts the entire rescue into the historical context; Attu during WorldWar II, Alaska Native history, as well as Coast Guard aviation history.
Thankyou for telling this remarkable story and for documenting an important part ofCoast Guard Aviation history in Alaska.

RADMJames C. Olson (USCG ret)

RADMOlson served in Alaska as Operations Officer CG Air Station Sitka, CommandingOfficer CG Air Station Sitka AK, Commanding Officer CG Air Station Kodiak AK,and Commander CG District Seventeen for all of Alaska.
Chapter 1
ANSWERING THE CALL


“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for andassurance about what we do not see .”
Hebrews 11:1


“Bill,we have a possible downed aircraft.”
Lieutenant(LT/03) Jim Sabo, Operations Officer on Coast Guard High Endurance Cutter Mellon (WHEC 717), looked at us anxiously as LT Mike (Wally) Wallace, my copilot, andI reached the bridge of Mellon , responding to his urgent request. Wallyand I had had just returned from a morning law enforcement flight, landing ourHH-52 helicopter aboard the cutter’s diminutive flight deck, near Buldir Islandat the western end of the Alaskan Aleutian chain.

0940 localFriday 30 July 1982
Standingbeside Sabo on the bridge by the navigational chart on the Quartermaster’stable, we heard an auto alarm on the high-frequency radio emergency channel,2182 kHz, followed by an urgent safety broadcast from Coast Guard Com munications Sta tion (COMSTA) Kodiak: “PAN PAN (pause) PAN PAN (pause) PAN PAN(pause) This is Communications Station Kodiak, Communications Station Kodiak, AUS Coast Guard HC-one thirty, Coast Guard number one-six-zero-zero, is missingon a flight from Shemya A ir F orce B ase (AFB) to AttuAlaska; any mariner in contact with or having information on Coast Guard numberone-six-zero-zero contact ‘COMSTA’ Kodiak immediately.”
Themessage was repeated; no one was listening. Our minds had instantly raced tothe possibility of a downed C oast G uard (CG) HC-130H and thoughtsof the aircrew and shipmates that may be in danger.
Iimmediately told Sabo I had heard a radio transmission, from CG-1600 around0825, stating, “Landing in ten” when we were flying our fisheries patrol. Thisnew information was immediately relayed back to COMSTA Kodiak by Mellon .

0942
CoastGuard North Pacific Search and Rescue Coordinator (NORPACSARCOORD) in Juneau,Alaska, ordered Mellon to “proceed at best possible speed to the lastknown position of Coast Guard sixteen hundred”.
TheHC-130’s last suspected position was on final approach for a landing at CascoCove, Attu Island, Alaska. Mellon , with a deployed helicopter aboard,immediately diverted from its assigned Al askan Fisheries Pat rol(ALPAT) to begin the S earch a nd R escue (SAR) mission. Thecutter’s Commanding Officer (CO), Captain (CAPT/06) Martin Daniell, ordered thehelmsman to come about to a westerly heading of 290 degrees and then notifiedthe ship’s crew of the situation via the shipboard public addresses system.
“ Mellon is proceeding at best speed back to Attu; Juneau has designated Mellon the On-Scene Coordinator for a possible downed Coast Guard HC one thirty on itslogistics flight from Shemya AFB to Attu.”
Everyoneon Mellon was on an adrenalin rush. This was “one of our own”; a CoastGuard aircraft and aircrew that were missing. For our-six man helicopter crewdeployed aboard Mellon from C oast G uard A ir S tation(CGAS) Kodiak, AK, the news was even more shocking because personalfriends and workmates were onboard the missing aircraft. We had justrendezvoused with the CGAS Kodiak HC-130H, CG-1600, a few days before at AttuIsland to receive a new helicopter battery during the first of their manylogistics sorties to resupply Coast Guard Lo ng Ra nge N avigation(LORAN) Station Attu.
OnWednesday 28 July at 1730 local, CG-1600 had