Petty Officer 2^nd Class Matthew Merel has been surfing for 23 years. Many of those years he was surfing competitively near his hometown in Oceanside, Calif.

From the ages of nine to 18, Merel was competing in surfing competitions every weekend. He felt a lot of pressure from family, friends and many others to the point of becoming burnt out. He was tired of competing and just wanted to surf.

“I learned how to surf when I was five years old,” said Merel. “When I rode my first wave it was the coolest and most pure feeling in the world. I knew right then, even as a five-year-old, that I was hooked for the rest of my life.”

Merel is a machinery technician at Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay. He joined the Coast Guard in part as an outlet to get away from competitive surfing. He needed and wanted to try something new, so he decided to mix two of his interests, mechanical work and water, into one new experience. Now in Bodega Bay he surfs in a whole new way, as a crewmember and engineer at the surf station.

But even here, stress and burnout still comes with the job. With search and rescue being the station’s predominant mission, stress becomes an important factor for Merel and his fellow crewmembers.

Every case is different in Bodega Bay. Every decision made could mean the difference between life and death.  This huge responsibility can weigh heavily on crew members, which creates a tremendous amount of stress.

“Being a rescuer is inherently dangerous and therefore very stressful both physically and mentally,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Aaron Bretz, officer in-charge Station Bodega Bay. “The most important job I have as an OINC is to take care of the crew I am entrusted with.”

“Commands can always find a reason to keep somebody around the unit, but we have to balance the needs of our unit with the needs of our people,” said Bretz. “By me granting liberty on time and granting leave as much as possible I show respect to my shipmates.”

Whether on duty, liberty or leave Coast Guardsmen know they represent the Coast Guard in and out of uniform. This is especially true in small communities like Bodega Bay where the population totals less than 1,000 people. So when liberty or leave is granted to the 30 crewmembers stationed in Bodega Bay, it's easy to be noticed for the good and bad.

According to Bretz, many of Coast Guardsmen’s troubles occur off duty, so it becomes important how each crewmember spend their off-duty time wisely and trouble-free.

Just like Merel’s surfing. Which is about all he does when not at work.

“As soon as liberty is granted, I am off looking at the waves,” said Merel.

For Merel, just getting out in the water makes for a better day.

“Surfing is always the one thing I want to be doing,” said Merel. “Even if you go out and the waves are a mess and they aren’t breaking like you want them to – catching that one wave makes it all worth it.”

“It would be one thing for him to be out there de-stressing by himself, but he shows his leadership as a petty officer by inviting the younger members of the crew to go surfing with him,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Zachary Adams, engineering officer, Station Bodega Bay.

“The younger crewmembers come in, usually from boot camp, looking to fit in and prove themselves to the more established crewmembers,” said Adams. “Sometimes they try to do this by the wrong means, which makes it all that more important for the petty officers to take the younger guys under their wings on and off duty.”

“Many of our crewmembers at this unit are not married, so their fellow crewmembers become the closest thing to family as they get,” said Bretz. “My family is the most important thing to me, and I try to spend as much time with them outside of work as I can. Not everybody has that release of immediate family nearby, so the crew becomes just that.”

Merel isn’t the only one at Bodega Bay that takes extra-curricular activities seriously. Adams, Merel’s supervisor, is an award winning bass fisherman. The awards and trophies he has won are proudly displayed in his office.

Petty Officer 2^nd Class James Brady is always neck deep into motorcycle talk on his off hours. He is a California state qualified motorcycle safety instructor and is a member of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. He spends some of his off duty time teaching safety classes at Coast Guard Training Center Petaluma.

Wesley Sedlacek, a 2^nd class petty officer, takes to the woods and hills in nearby Santa Rosa as often as time permits, so he can spin his new mountain bike up and down the various trails. He plans and organizes several bike trips with his fellow crewmembers, so they can enjoy their time off as well.

Petty Officer 2^nd Class Ross Ellis finds his joy organizing community service projects. He recently organized a flag football charity event to benefit the “Wounded Warriors Foundation.”

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew dabble in martial arts, golf and bowling. All the crewmembers strive to share all their different hobbies and interests with one another. Adams jokingly claims that Brady has started the Bodega Bay Biker Gang and has even almost convinced Bretz to purchase a motorcycle, so he can join in on the bike rides along the windy roads of coastal California.

Bretz points out that the most rewarding part is seeing his crew become successful at what they enjoy doing best. It helps achieve the work-life balance they need to effectively handle the stresses of their primary job in the Coast Guard.  .

Most recently, Merel’s supervisors granted permissive orders for him to compete in the Point Mugu surf competition the last three years. Merel rewarded his command’s graciousness by proudly representing the station and the Coast Guard by winning the military division three years in a row. This year he even competed outside the military division and finished fifth in the men’s open division.

“I have only occasionally competed in the last 10 years,” said Merel. “I competed once on the East Coast in 2007 and for the last three years at Point Mugu.”

Prior to the 2009 Point Mugu competition, Merel hadn’t surfed at all for more than a year. His command knew and took note of his surfing prowess through word of mouth.

“I didn’t and don’t talk about surfing very often, but they took notice and encouraged me to compete that first time in 2009 and have continued to support my hobby,” said Merel. “It is amazing to me how supportive they are of my and the rest of the crews extra-curricular activities. I know I wouldn’t be as happy here as I am without their support.”

The variety of extra-curricular activities taken on by Station Bodega Bay’s crew to keep themselves mentally engaged and to achieve a work-life balance exemplifies 11th District Commander Rear Adm. Joseph “Pepe” Castillo’s tenet of “have fun, stay safe and get the job done.”  This is a prime example where a supportive command cares for the best interests of their crew and that translates into a healthy and safe environment.

The Coast Guard is a multi-mission capable organization.  From keeping waterways navigable with aids to navigation, to saving lives and preserving the environment with search and rescue and environmental protection, to ice patrols in the frigid waters of the Arctic, these jobs define the service and its 220 years of history.  However, every Coast Guardsman had a beginning, every rescuer had a start, and every enlisted member went through the same process to join the Coast Guard, and it all began with a recruiter.

Recruiters are notoriously thought of as used car salesmen, preying on naïve kids and sell the flashy dreams of the better life.

“Parents think recruiters are snatching children up in the middle of the night and sending them off to Vietnam,” said Petty Officer 1^stClass Warren Weatherford, a recruiter out of Coast Guard Island in Alameda, Calif.  Weatherford said that for a recruiter, that’s one of the hardest misconceptions to get over.

Seaman David Flores, a Coast Guard reservist recruited by Weatherford, affirms that he was not snatched up in the middle of the night.  Flores, who has been enlisted since July 2010, remembers when he first met with Weatherford.

“I did a Google search of Coast Guard recruiters in the area and happened to find Weatherford’s e-mail among them,” said Flores.  “After a few e-mails shot back and forth between us, we decided to meet at his office.  He answered all of my questions to the best of his ability, as well as got me a pretty good deal coming in.”

A recruiter is there to lay down the foundation for the entire Coast Guard by ushering in new recruits.  It is through their integrity and judgment that future Coast Guard men and women are chosen. Recruiters are the filters that shift through a multitude of applicants to find those worthy of wearing Coast Guard blue.

The Coast Guard is the smallest branch of the U.S. military, comprised of approximately 42,000 active duty members and 7,500 reservists.  Thousands of candidates try to enlist in the Coast Guard every year and less than a quarter of them will qualify to join.

“I’ve handled approximately 1,500 people in a year and a half trying to join the Coast Guard, and I’ve only put in 22.”

According to Weatherford, only 25 percent of candidates eligible for military service will pass the screening process.  Many candidates are disqualified for having medical conditions such as attention deficit disorder or asthma.  However, the number one disqualifying factor for a majority of people is weight.

The Coast Guard is always looking for bright men and women to join their elite ranks; however, the recruiting process takes time.  Before an eligible candidate can enlist, the recruiter does a thorough background check that involves looking at past medical records and searching for any criminal history.  From the time he took his Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test, it took Flores eight months to go to basic training.

“Ultimately the recruiters have the final say as to who joins and who doesn’t,” said Weatherford.  A recruiter faces the tough challenges of deciding which candidates would be best suited for the service.  According to Weatherford, recruiters look for people who fit within the Coast Guards core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty.

Recruiters need to be dynamic, personable, patient and flexible.  Their tactics and demands change as the service’s needs and purposes change.

“The biggest push right now is reservist. It’s Coast Guard Recruiting Command’s focus,” said Weatherford.

This year, the Coast Guard is looking to recruit 1,300 reservists.  As a way to maximize this recruiting process, the Coast Guard has procured mobile temporary additional reserve recruiters, also known as T.A.R.R.’s, to enlist skilled individuals such as fire fighters, police officers and other federal employees. 

“When I started the recruitment process, I didn’t know what job I would qualify for until I got my ASVAB scores back,” said Flores.  “Depending on how I scored, it would determine what job I could pursue.  Thankfully I scored alright on it and I had my pick of whatever I wanted.”

Flores knew he wanted to be a public affairs specialist before enlisting. 

“It was kind of cool going through boot camp and already knowing what I was going to be doing.”

Coast Guard recruiters have established their office on Coast Guard Island.  According to Weatherford, it is a pilot program that hopes to strengthen the bonds between the recruiters and the active duty members.

“Coasties sell this better than anybody,” said Weatherford.  “They’re recruiting even when they’re not recruiting.  When they’re out there telling people about how cool their job is, they’re helping the recruiting process.  It’s easier for 100 people to talk to 100 people.  Also, enlisted members need to go through a recruiter for the officer program.  It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

The Coast Guard is a tapestry constantly being weaved.  Displayed across it is a story of the service’s past, present and future.  It is a rich story told by its members and the recruiter is like the needle ushering the story along.  Every Coast Guardsmen had a beginning, every rescuer had a start, and every enlisted member went through the same process to join the Coast Guard.  However different that beginning story may be, it all began with a recruiter. 

The U.S. Life-Saving Service, the precursor of the U.S. Coast Guard, had two main means of rescuing people aboard distressed ships stranded near shore: by small boat and by a strong line stretched from the beach to the wrecked vessel. Each vessel was a 700 to 1,000 pound, self-bailing, self-righting surfboat pulled by six surfmen with 12 to 18- foot oars, or a two to four ton lifeboat. These sturdy surfboats were pulled on a cart by crewmen, or horses, to a site near a wreck and then launched into the surf.

Today, replicas of these historic boats, the Joshua James and the Ida Lewis, are moored up in the shallow side of Coast Guard Island nested within the Oakland estuary in Alameda, Calif. The Joshua James and the Ida Lewis were created from the same hull design as the old Life-Saving Service’s Monomoy Surfboats, which descended from whaleboats used for whaling in the eighteenth century.

In the early 1990’s, the Coast Guard purchased these two boats with appropriated funds for the purpose of morale, wellness and recreation. The boats were used to teach the art of rowing and also to teach Coast Guardsmen a little history about their service.  As the rowing program continued to evolve on "the island," a few leaders emerged that have strengthened and sustained the program over the past few decades.  One such leader has been retired Coast Guard commander Bill Davis of Alameda, who continues to coach and teach surfboat rowing to the many active duty, reserve, and civilians.  Despite the great leadership and love of rowing shown, the rowing program on Coast Guard Island experienced a fairly long lull and fell off in the years following 9/11 as the Coast Guard took on additional missions in homeland security. However, in 2008, Capt. Keith Turro came aboard as the Integrated Support Command Alameda (now Base Support Unit Alameda) commander and took stock of the program having it up and in full swing by January 2009.  Rowing workouts and a little history were again offered to Coast Guardsmen in Alameda in a unique way.

Fully revitalized, the men’s, women’s and co-ed whaleboat teams regularly compete in whaleboat races in and around the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the Bay Area Whaleboat Rowing Association. Racing these boats can be traced in Coast Guard history, when crews aboard cutters would come into port and blow their hard earned cash within the first couple hours and would then need something to occupy the rest of their time in port. The crews felt that racing their boats were not only fun, but good exercise and good training.

Today’s whaleboat rowers compete in approximately 10 races per year ranging from 2,000 meters to 5 ½ miles. Once a year Coast Guard rowers can participate in a 10 ½ mile trip across the San Francisco Bay, from Coast Guard Island to San Francisco’s Aquatic Park. Each boat has eight rowers plus a coxswain.

“It is hard to field a highly competitive team because of the turnover that military life creates,” said Turro. “Our goal is to maintain an experienced, competitive team well beyond my departure this summer. We are in a constant state of training and recruiting.”

On April 30, Coast Guard Island hosted the annual Coast Guard Challenge Whaleboat Races. Twenty-one teams rowed approximately two miles circling Coast Guard Island. The Coast Guard men’s team won first place, the women’s and co-ed teams took third. The Coast Guard men’s team remains undefeated since the fall of 2010.

Not all rowers are in it for competition, but purely for health benefits.

“Rowing is a full-body sport and is aerobically demanding,” said Turro. “I know of at least three people who were able to meet the Coast Guard’s weight standards, in-part because of their involvement with the rowing crew.”

Rowing clinics are held during the lunch hour Mondays and Wednesdays for beginners. Once the rowers get some practice under their belts, they are able to join the more competitive rowers and row up to three times per week Monday through Friday. Crewmen range in rank from admiral to seaman and can include other members of the Coast Guard family including spouses and children.

Since its emergence from a long hiatus, the rowing program has had hundreds of participants rotate through, now having approximately 50 active rowers . Active duty Coast Guardsmen get first priority for participating, however, auxiliarists, civilians, family members and others who work with the Coast Guard are welcome when there is an opportunity.  

Hardwired to be responders by culture and by training, Coast Guardsman who are on-duty or off-duty are lifesavers. For this reason, rowers practice man-overboard and steering casualty drills. Fortunately, the rowers haven’t been diverted to a rescue situation while in training, but they keep a constant eye out for anyone in trouble being that the estuary is within striking distance of the Alameda marina and is a popular area for water sports.

“Because the Bay Area has an active rowing community, keeping this program is important to all those involved,” said Turro. “These assets are a great community outreach tool and again a great opportunity to honor the history and profession of our service”

Other than sighting the moored whaleboats off the docks in Coast Guard island, those who transit the entrance are also greeted by a bright electronic billboard that reads, “If you don’t row you don’t know!”

What does this mean? It's an invitation to all - to come get some knowledge about our lifesaving heritage and a little workout along the way.

In hindsight, the rowing program is well positioned to continue well into the future because of the great love and commitment shown by those currently involved as well as Alameda's heritage now married to the Coast Guard when it was designated a Coast Guard City in 2006. Most recently, the base also recently added a brand new boathouse to store the whaleboats and oars during inclement weather.

“This boathouse is important in order to preserve and show respect to the equipment that represents the history of our service,” said Turro. “Our service today is dedicated to those who died – so others may live.”

There are only seconds to make a decision when an emergency knocks on your doorstep and threatens you, your community and your livelihood. Most people would like to claim that when an emergency happens they would be thinking of others instead of themselves. But how many people would actually do just that?

In the early morning hours of Friday, March 11, 2011 the residents of Crescent City Calif. woke to a tsunami warning in the wake of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Japan, which is nearly 4,500 miles away from this sleepy little town in Northern California. Oceanographers and geologists have made the claim that because of the topography underneath the massive Pacific Ocean, the most likely city on the West Coast of the United States most likely to be hit by a tsunami would be Crescent City. Tsunamis have been observed in Crescent City 31 times since 1933 including the tsunami of 1964, which remains the largest and most destructive recorded tsunami to ever strike the U.S. Pacific Coast.

Residents of the small fishing community near the border of Oregon had approximately eight hours to get out of the way of the powerful, fast-moving wall of water.  However, many didn’t hear of the incoming tsunami until it was too late, because they were blissfully sleeping in their beds or boats as the tsunami surged toward its favorite landing spot. The Japanese earthquake that caused the tsunami struck at 11:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

The people of Crescent City, the busiest fishing port in California, were awakened by phone calls from concerned family or friends. Emergency personnel awoke others by giving evacuation orders via bullhorn and still others awoke from hearing the tsunami warning sirens. No matter how they heard about the forthcoming tsunami, most only had a short period of time to react and protect themselves, their family and their property.

Bill Barlow, vice Commander of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 8-11, had a 27-foot sailboat moored inside the inner boat basin of Crescent City Harbor. He woke early Friday morning and placed extra mooring lines on his personal sailing vessel and hoped for a good outcome for his sailboat. Why would he not do more to save his boat? Well, there is a simple answer, and that answer was there was no more time because he spent most of the night securing the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s search and rescue boat by removing it from the water and placing it on a trailer and parking it on Whaler’s Island.

“It wasn’t a rocket science decision to make; anyone with common sense would make the same decision,” said Barlow. “It will always be the right decision, and I would make the same decision every time.”

“It was an emotional decision for him to let his sailboat ride out the tsunami, but he had already made the decision,” said Rick Postal, Flotilla 8-11 member and long-time friend of Bill.

The actions of the auxiliary in Crescent City are critical because there is only one Coast Guard unit, which calls Crescent City home, and that unit is the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Dorado. The Dorado serves as a patrol boat and like other multi-mission cutters with only one set of crewmen, they can’t always assist with all short-range search and rescue cases located near their homeport.

“We are only on-call for SAR within our area of responsibility – California/Oregon border south to the mouth of the Guala River – 25 percent of the year,” said Lt. j.g. Thomas Faulkenberry, commanding officer Coast Guard Cutter Dorado. “The rest of our time is spent on patrol within our AOR or even as far south as Baja, Mexico.”

In fact, the Dorado and its crew were dockside in San Pedro, Calif. en route to patrol the Baja when the tsunami hit their homeport. Instead of continuing that patrol, they raced home in just under 48 hours, through 20-foot seas to provide whatever help they could to their community.

“The crew of the Dorado has been playing an important role in this community’s recovery process,” said Barlow. “They steamed into port and went to work immediately. I was so impressed by that crew because they were so compassionate to the fisherman and that started with instruction given to them by their commanding officer Lt. Faulkenberry, ‘Remember these people have a loss … treat this experience accordingly.’”

The Coast Guard understands that the volunteer auxiliarists in Crescent City play an important role within this fishing and logging community, so the Coast Guard assigned a 25-foot Response Boat – Small to the Coast Guard Auxiliary.  The auxiliarists know they are often the only available Coast Guard resource in port due to the remote location of Crescent City and the response missions of the Coast Guard. For this reason, Barlow’s decision to save the RB-S and not his own sailboat is all that more important. Luckily the RB-S was not needed, but in the future it may be there for a rescue operation because of Barlow’s selfless decision.

This was the first of many things accomplished by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the unsung heroes of the Crescent City Tsunami Response.  The auxiliarists spent more than two hundred hours responding to tsunami-related incidents.

Other selfless actions they did include allowing representatives from the Coast Guard, California Department of Fish & Game, National Response Corporation, other contractors, and local government officials from various parts of Northern California to have a dry, warm place to meet every morning. Each day, the Unified Command and various other responders were able to escape the torrential down pour of rain and wind to meet and plan operations in a safe location.

On another occasion, they went out of their way to supply a potluck dinner for the responders.

Numerous auxiliarists acted as escorts for the local community and fisherman who were trying to salvage whatever they could from their damaged vessels. Several times daily, they walked around the harbor parking lots and docks to distribute the latest fact sheets to community members looking for answers and information. This helped environmental cleanup responders perform their jobs without interruption.

“The Unified Command’s decision to place auxiliarists and the Dorado crew as escorts for these fisherman was one of the most important and impactful decisions they could have made,” said Barlow. “These people are our neighbors, and I know their boats and they know mine. We knew they were just venting their frustrations, which is important in the healing process.”

In an effort to build good working relationships, the auxiliary introduced the out-of-town agency responders to all the community leaders and decision makers, which helped make the response as fluid as possible.  One auxiliarist in particular, Rick Postal, worked as a buffer between the Coast Guard’s vessel liaisons and the local boat owners. He relayed local and firsthand knowledge of boat owners and their boats to the Unified Command. Postal, is also a photographer for the local newspaper – The Daily Triplicate. If there was a message or a photo that needed to get out, Postal and his fellow volunteers were the ones that made it happen.

“The auxiliary was a tremendous force multiplier with their rapid availability, local area knowledge and ties to the community,” said Cmdr. Tom Stuhlreyer, Sector San Francisco chief of response. “They helped the Unified Command make key contacts with fishermen and community leaders that established very positive and open communications between the responders and local residents.”

“The relationships built within the community by the hard work of the local Coast Guardsmen and Coast Guard Auxiliary were instrumental in the success of the month-long operation in Crescent City,” said Stuhlreyer.

In all, the Crescent City Harbor sustained $24 million worth of damage to the port. Fifteen boats sank, 47 more were damaged and one boat ran aground near the mouth of the Elk River. The mooring docks within the Inner Boat Basin were completely destroyed.

Most of the operating fishing vessels homeported in Crescent City made it out of the harbor before the tsunami came ashore. However, these fishermen are experiencing economic hardships of their own. Unable to return to Crescent City, they have had to operate out of Eureka, Calif. and Brookings, Ore.  Having been temporarily displaced has resulted in added expenses and overhead to their day-to-day business operations.

The response is considered a success because the environmental impact was minimal to both shore and marine life. California Department of Fish & Game reported no animals were affected by spilt oil. Responders removed nearly 2,000 gallons of liquid petroleum products from the sunken vessels, approximately 150 gallons of solid waste and 2,260 cubic yards of oiled debris from the Crescent City Inner Boat Basin.

Both Barlow and Postal feel like the community of Crescent was very pleased with the initial response and environmental cleanup. “The community felt great about the response and in particular the local newspaper reporters and radio personalities were impressed with the expertise and knowledge that the responders presented,” said Postal.

“We felt like this was a good training experience for the community through a real-life situation,” said Postal. “Luckily we were at low tide when the tsunami hit and that kept the damage to a small area instead of making our community live up to its reputation like the local bowling alley’s name – Tsunami Lanes.

A small crowd gathers in the hangar aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, a 418-foot cutter homeported in Alameda, Calif. Sarah Williams, a grateful mother, stands at the podium before the assembly gathered to witness the presentation of the Silver Lifesaving Medal.

Seated in the front row is Mrs. Williams’ 16-year-old son, Christopher Williams, a tall young man with shaggy black hair and a humble, yet appreciative expression on his face. Directly across from him sits Petty Officer 2^nd Class Erik R. Conatser, an information systems technician stationed aboard the Waesche, and former Petty Officer 2^nd class Ramu Linsky, an electricians mate who was also stationed aboard the Waesche.

“I have struggled for over a year to find the words to thank these two young men for what they did,” said Mrs. Williams. “I have since come to realize that nothing I could say would ever be enough and I will never stop thanking them for saving the life of my son.”

On August 15, 2009, a then 15-year-old Williams had come to the American River in Central California with his church youth group. While waiting for a raft, several members of the group began jumping from a bridge forty feet above the rapid water. After some encouragement from his friends, Williams jumped into the river from the high bridge with no life jacket.

“You know that expression, ‘if all your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too?’ Well, my parents never used that on me before and I guess now we know the answer,” said Williams.

After Williams hit the water he said he didn’t immediately know he was in danger. Williams remembers how he kept getting pulled down and had to struggle to get back up. After struggling for a short while he realized he needed help and started shouting.

Conatser and Linsky had come to the river with some friends while on leave. They were waiting on shore for a raft and had actually seen Williams jump into the river.

“We saw him go into the water after some of the other kids. He came up flailing then we heard him calling for help,” said Conatser, “We went into the water and swam about 300 yards but we lost sight of him.”

Linsky soon said he felt Williams bump into his legs and immediately reached down to grab hold of the young man. According to Conatser, a raft had paddled out into the river by that time and both Conatser and Linsky were able to pull Williams up onto the raft.

“He was a pale blue when we got him onto the raft,” said Conatser. “We checked his vitals and couldn’t a find a pulse, Ramu started chest compressions and I did rescue breathing. We did about three sets of breaths and compressions before we were able to detect a faint pulse and hear Williams breathing again.”

Conatser and Linsky continued compressions until Williams’ pulse was stronger and when his body began shaking they turned him over on his side to let the fluid in his body drain out.

Conatser said that Williams’ eyes were open and his color had come back but he didn’t seem to be able to talk. By the time they got back to shore Conatser and Linsky said they could hear the rescue chopper overhead.

The two Coast Guardsmen sat with Williams on the shore, talking to him and asking him questions until the emergency medical technicians arrived and put him on the chopper.

Williams was airlifted to UC Davis hospital in Sacramento, Calif., where he spent the night before being released by doctors the following day.

“I don’t really remember much,” said Williams. “I don’t remember being pulled out of the water or sitting on the shore with the two men who saved me.”

The heroic efforts of Conatser and Linsky were honored at a ceremony held aboard the Waesche Friday, March 18, 2011, where Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, commander Pacific Area, presented them both with the Silver Lifesaving Medal.

“I will tell both of you gentlemen, what you did was distinctive and unique,” said Brown. “It was heroic, and I do not believe most folks would have done what you did.”

Despite the recognition, Linsky and Conatser have maintained a humble and respectful attitude toward their actions.

“I don’t feel like a hero,” said Conatser. “I just did what I think, what I hope, anyone would have done. The real reward is seeing Chris Williams alive and well and with his family.”

The Silver Life Saving Medal is one of the oldest medals in the United States established by an act of congress in June 1874. The Lifesaving Medal is awarded to any member of the U.S. Military or to a U.S. citizen who rescues or attempts to rescue any other person from drowning, shipwreck or any other perils of water. The Silver Life Saving Medal is surpassed only by the Gold Lifesaving Medal awarded to those who attempted a rescue despite extreme danger to their own life.

The ceremony was brought to a close by a few last words of thanks from Mrs. Williams.

"It isn't fate. It wasn't luck. It was a choice that sent these two men after my son. That choice that they made so instinctively is what makes them heroes.”