He Was Just 18… But He Saved Half His Ship's Crew!

#usa #military #coastguard William Ray “Billy” Flores wasn’t supposed to be remembered. He was just 18 years old, fresh out of boot camp, standing watch aboard the Coast Guard cutter Blackthorn on January 28, 1980. That night, disaster struck in Tampa Bay. The Blackthorn collided with the massive freighter Capricorn. The anchor of the freighter tore through the Coast Guard ship’s hull, capsizing her in minutes. Chaos erupted as men were thrown into the dark water. But Flores didn’t run. As the ship rolled, he stayed behind on the sinking cutter—tossing lifejackets to his shipmates and cutting free the locker so dozens more could reach the surface. When the Blackthorn slipped beneath the waves, Flores went with her. His sacrifice saved countless lives, but it cost him his own. In 2000, two decades after his death, the Coast Guard posthumously awarded him the Coast Guard Medal for extraordinary heroism. And in 2011, a brand-new National Security Cutter was named in his honor: the USCGC William Flores. This is the unforgettable true story of Seaman Apprentice William Flores—the teenager who gave everything to save his crew. 🔗 SOURCES & FURTHER READING: 📖 The Maritime Executive – Remembering the Heroism of William Flores https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/william-flores-hero-of-the-cutter-blackthorn 📖 Coast Guard Historian’s Office – SA William Flores https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Notable-People/All/Article/1853915/seaman-apprentice-william-r-flores/ 📖 Tampa Bay Times – “The Heroism of William Flores” https://www.tampabay.com/news/military/2020/01/27/a-1980-coast-guard-disaster-killed-23-in-tampa-bay-heres-one-heros-story/ 📖 Military Times Hall of Valor – William Ray Flores https://www.militarytimes.com/2020/01/27/40-years-after-a-heroic-coast-guardsman-died-in-a-collision-his-statue-joins-underwater-veterans-memorial/ 📚 RECOMMENDED READS: Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America’s Forgotten Heroes – David Helvarg 📺 CHAPTERS 00:00 – 01:35 The Angel of Tampa Bay 01:36 – 04:08 The Workhorse USCGC Blackthorn 04:09 – 06:18 A Kid from Carlsbad 06:19 – 08:46 Disaster in Tampa Bay 08:47 – 10:29 Billy’s Final Sacrifice 10:30 – 12:39 The Aftermath of the Collision 12:40 - 15:30 Honors Long Overdue @AmericanMilitaryNetwork