John Allen Midgett Jr.

John Allen Midgett Jr. (August 25, 1876 – February 9, 1938) was a senior enlisted member of first the United States Life-Saving Service, and later the United States Coast Guard.^[1][2][3]

John Allen Midgett Jr.
John Allen Midgett was recognized by the UK government for saving UK seamen in 1918.
Born	(1876-08-25)August 25, 1876 Rodanthe, North Carolina
Died	February 9, 1938(1938-02-09) (aged 61) Norfolk, Virginia
Nationality	American

Biography

Midgett grew up on Cape Hatteras, on the outer banks of the North Carolina coast, and like his father and other family members, he enlisted in the United States Life-Saving Service in 1898.^[4] Midgett remained in command of a life–saving station when the United States Revenue Cutter Service merged with the United States Life-Saving Service to form the United States Coast Guard in 1915.^[5]

On August 16, 1918, Midgett was the keeper of the Chicamacomico Lifeboat Station when he led his power surfboat crew on the celebrated rescue of the 42 crew members of the British tanker Mirlo.^{[1][3][6][7][8][9]} The United Kingdom Board of Trade awarded Midgett a silver cup in 1918, and he was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Gold Lifesaving Medal six years later.

Midgett was injured in an automobile accident in late 1937 and died on February 9, 1938.^[2]

Legacy

According to the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography Midgett was friends with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and his funeral was attended by a number of congressmen.

The Coast Guard dedicated the USCGC Midgett to his service in 1971. The last of the Hamilton-class, in the early 1990s, the vessel was modernized to extend service. Later, in 2018, the Coast Guard renamed her to the USCGC John Midgett, freeing the vessel name for a new Legend-class cutter. That next year, the USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757) was commissioned into service, carrying the name for another generation.