John Allen Midgett Jr.
John Allen Midgett was recognized by the UK government for saving UK seamen in 1918.
John Allen Midgett was recognized by the UK government for saving UK seamen in 1918.
BornAugust 25, 1876
Rodanthe, North Carolina
DiedFebruary 9, 1938
Norfolk, Virginia
NationalityAmerican

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]

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Noble, Dennis L. (2005). "Rescued By The U.S. Coast Guard: Great Acts Of Heroism Since 1878". Naval Institute Press. pp. 92–95. ISBN 9781591146254. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  2. 1 2 Powell, William S., ed. (1991). "Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: L-O". University of North Carolina Press. pp. 265–266. ISBN 9780807819180. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  3. 1 2 Midgette, Don (2007). "Capt. John Allen Midgett & The Mirlo Rescue". North Carolina Genealogy. Archived from the original on 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  4. ↑ "Coast Guard and the Southeastern Coast". The Patriot Files. Retrieved 2013-01-14. Most notable among the Outer Banks life-savers is the renown Midgett family, who have patrolled the beaches of the Outer Banks since at least the 1790s. Even among other heroic families of Hatteras, the Midgetts are considered mighty men. Claiming one hero in a family is usually considered legendary. Yet, over the years ten men of the mighty Midgetts have been awarded Life-Saving Medals of Honor, a record that remains unsurpassed in the history of the Life–Saving Service and the current day Coast Guard.
  5. ↑ "General Order NO. 1" (PDF). USCG Document Collections. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Preston, William. "Heroic and Notable Coast Guard CPOs". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  7. ↑ "Who are some of the heroes of the Coast Guard?". United States Coast Guard. 2012-12-03. Archived from the original on 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  8. ↑ Wharton, Don (1957). "The Mighty Midgetts of Hatteras: For Nine Decades, this Extraordinary Family Has Made a Specialty of Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Seamen". Reader's Digest Association. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  9. ↑ "Ethnohistorical Description of the Eight Villages adjoining Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Interpretive Themes of History and Heritage" (PDF). National Park Service. November 2005. p. 431. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
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