Navy Federal Credit Union

Awards Received

  • Coast Guard Medal

    Service:

    United States Coast Guard

    Rank:

    Master Chief Machinery Technician

    Action Date:

    April 5, 1976

    U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office

    The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Medal to Master Chief Machinery Technician Kenneth W. Augustus, United States Coast Guard, for heroism on the morning of 5 April 1976 while en route from Juneau, Alaska to Ketchikan aboard a commercial airliner. During the landing at Ketchikan, the jetliner overran the end of the runway, plummeted into a ravine, broke into several pieces, ruptured her fuel tanks, and burst into flames. Before attempting to exit from the burning wreck, Master Chief Petty Officer Augustus, a member of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District Staff Inspection Team, freed a trapped and injured stewardess and assisted her to the forward cabin door. After the stewardess had been lifted from the aircraft and carried to safety, he descended to the muskeg below, braced himself against the fuselage and assisted the escaping passengers while acting as a “human ladder.” With total disregard for his personal safety, Master Chief Petty Officer Augustus courageously returned to the cockpit area of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer. Constantly faced with the threat of a devastating explosion, he none-the-less remained at the scene of the conflagration and rescued an elderly woman who was precariously hanging by her foot from an open door. Undaunted, Master Chief Petty Officer Augustus again returned to the cockpit area and was thwarted in his attempts to gain access on the left side of the fuselage. Without hesitation, he traversed under the nose of the burning plane to the right side where entry was once again thwarted. In search of the necessary access equipment, he then proceeded up a nearby hillside to an airport crash truck. The hapless crewmembers were subsequently rescued as additional assistance arrived on scene. Master Chief Petty Officer Augustus demonstrated remarkable initiative, exceptional fortitude, and heroic daring in spite of grave personal danger during this aircraft disaster. His unselfish actions, courage, and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Coast Guard.