Bailey Taylor Barco (February 14, 1846 - November 4, 1901) was a stationkeeper and Captain with the United States Life-Saving Service—one of the agencies later merged into the United States Coast Guard. He led a rescue at his station Dam Neck Mills in present-day Virginia Beach, on December 21, 1900. [1]
A severe storm had grounded the schooner Jennie Hall, which was being beaten to pieces on its sandbank. [1] Barco decided the surf was too severe to launch his station's surfboat. But his crew was able to send a line to the vessel, and bring off most of the surviving crew with a breeches-buoy.
The last surviving crew member was too numb with cold, and required assistance. [1] Attempts to carry a rescuer out to the schooner with the breeches-buoy were unsuccessful, so Barco and one of his crew made several attempts to use the surfboat to reach the stranded man. They finally succeeded, and were able to put two rescuers aboard the vessel, who were able to assist the last man to mount the breeches-buoy.
Barco was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on October 7, 1901. [1]
Barco was a fisherman, machinist, boat builder, and wrecker by trade. With his wife, Virginia Williams Barco, he had nine children, seven of whom survived; many of their descendants continue to live in the Virginia Beach area. Barco oversaw construction of the Chapel by the Sea in Dam Neck, [2] a daughter church of the Eastern Shore Chapel where he is buried.
In 2010, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" W. Bowen, the United States Coast Guard's senior enlisted person at the time, lobbied for its new Sentinel-class cutters to be named after enlisted Coast Guardsmen, or personnel from its precursor services, who had distinguished themselves by their heroism. [3] The USCGC Bailey Barco was the 22nd cutter to be launched. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Bailey Barco's exemplary courage, fortitude and initiative in this valiant rescue reflected the highest honor upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. For extreme and heroic action, Barco was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Oct. 7, 1901.
After the passing of several well-known Coast Guard heroes last year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" Bowen mentioned in his blog that the Coast Guard does not do enough to honor its fallen heroes.
The U.S. Coast Guard has taken delivery of USCGC Bailey Barco on February 7, 2017 in Key West, Fla. The vessel is scheduled to be commissioned in Ketchikan, Alaska in June, 2017.
This vessel is named after McCormick, awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Nov. 7, 1938, for his heroic action in rescuing a fellow Coast Guardsman in treacherous conditions where the mouth of the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in northwest Oregon.
The Coast Guard recently announced the names of 10 Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (WPCs 1116-1125) through a series of posts on its official blog, the Coast Guard Compass. Like the first 15 ships in the class, each ship will honor a Coast Guard enlisted hero.[ dead link]
Previously designated to be named the Coast Guard Cutter Sentinel, the cutter Bernard C. Webber will be the first of the service's new 153-foot patrol cutters. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen approved the change of the cutter's name to allow this class of vessels to be named after outstanding enlisted members who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. This will be the first class of cutters to be named exclusively for enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.
Bailey Taylor Barco (February 14, 1846 - November 4, 1901) was a stationkeeper and Captain with the United States Life-Saving Service—one of the agencies later merged into the United States Coast Guard. He led a rescue at his station Dam Neck Mills in present-day Virginia Beach, on December 21, 1900. [1]
A severe storm had grounded the schooner Jennie Hall, which was being beaten to pieces on its sandbank. [1] Barco decided the surf was too severe to launch his station's surfboat. But his crew was able to send a line to the vessel, and bring off most of the surviving crew with a breeches-buoy.
The last surviving crew member was too numb with cold, and required assistance. [1] Attempts to carry a rescuer out to the schooner with the breeches-buoy were unsuccessful, so Barco and one of his crew made several attempts to use the surfboat to reach the stranded man. They finally succeeded, and were able to put two rescuers aboard the vessel, who were able to assist the last man to mount the breeches-buoy.
Barco was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on October 7, 1901. [1]
Barco was a fisherman, machinist, boat builder, and wrecker by trade. With his wife, Virginia Williams Barco, he had nine children, seven of whom survived; many of their descendants continue to live in the Virginia Beach area. Barco oversaw construction of the Chapel by the Sea in Dam Neck, [2] a daughter church of the Eastern Shore Chapel where he is buried.
In 2010, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" W. Bowen, the United States Coast Guard's senior enlisted person at the time, lobbied for its new Sentinel-class cutters to be named after enlisted Coast Guardsmen, or personnel from its precursor services, who had distinguished themselves by their heroism. [3] The USCGC Bailey Barco was the 22nd cutter to be launched. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Bailey Barco's exemplary courage, fortitude and initiative in this valiant rescue reflected the highest honor upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. For extreme and heroic action, Barco was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Oct. 7, 1901.
After the passing of several well-known Coast Guard heroes last year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" Bowen mentioned in his blog that the Coast Guard does not do enough to honor its fallen heroes.
The U.S. Coast Guard has taken delivery of USCGC Bailey Barco on February 7, 2017 in Key West, Fla. The vessel is scheduled to be commissioned in Ketchikan, Alaska in June, 2017.
This vessel is named after McCormick, awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Nov. 7, 1938, for his heroic action in rescuing a fellow Coast Guardsman in treacherous conditions where the mouth of the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in northwest Oregon.
The Coast Guard recently announced the names of 10 Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (WPCs 1116-1125) through a series of posts on its official blog, the Coast Guard Compass. Like the first 15 ships in the class, each ship will honor a Coast Guard enlisted hero.[ dead link]
Previously designated to be named the Coast Guard Cutter Sentinel, the cutter Bernard C. Webber will be the first of the service's new 153-foot patrol cutters. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen approved the change of the cutter's name to allow this class of vessels to be named after outstanding enlisted members who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. This will be the first class of cutters to be named exclusively for enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.