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Fitzgerald, born on March 19, 1931, did his best to remember that night 65
years ago when he, and his shipmates, made history.
Masthead
Fitzgerald’s Story
SR
Were are you originally from Andy?
EDITORIAL STAFF
AF
From Massachusetts, I was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, me and
Rocky Marciano.
SR
Why did you join the Coast Guard?
AF
Why did I join? I guess I just wanted a little bit of excitement.
JH
You told us in the past you didn’t want to carry a rifle…
AF
You know what? I would have a really hard time taking a rifle and shooting
at somebody.
SR
And the draft was going on …
Bret Fendt
Editor
Roger Bazeley
Assistant Editor
H William Smith
Assistant Editor
Zacary E. Wilson
Assistant Editor
Curtis Pratt
Layout Editor
Review Team
Brian Harte
Mary Patton
CONTRIBUTORS
AF
So I thought about it and I said… well, the Coast Guard’s training to save
people, and the other services are all trained to kill people. So that’s why I
went in the Coast Guard…
SR
What units were you at…or stationed at? Where was your first station?
AF
I know I went to … it was on Cape Cod…it was at Chatham, I was at
Chatham. I was at that station about three years…I was an Engineman 2nd.
JH
When you came out of Engineman School, did you go to Chatham? Was
that your first station?
AF
That was my first place… at Chatham. We did go out. I ended up with a
gold lifesaving medal. Because I went out one night. One day, one night,
on a thirty six foot lifeboat…
SR
Do you remember much about the rescue that night? The kind of safety
gear you guys had on?
AF
We had a life jacket. I think I had to take it off before I jumped in the
OR express
Navigator Express
Continued on Page 6
Elizabeth Burgess
“U.S. Coast Guard Fan”
Robert Carlson
District One Southern
Joseph Giannattasio
District Five Northern
Patrick Hickey
District Eight Western Rivers
Sondra-Kay Keen
USCG
NATIONAL STAFF
Richard F. Mihalcik
Director of Public Affairs
Thea Narkiewicz
Deputy Director, Publications
Thomas Ceniglio
Deputy Director, Support
Robert Miller, M.D.
Division Chief, Publications
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Auxiliary Association, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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