NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Nearly five decades after the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cuyahoga sank in the Chesapeake Bay, siblings Doug Carter and Katie Lemon keep their brother's memory alive.
Yeoman First Class William Carter was just 22 when he perished along with 10 other crew members on October 20, 1978, after the 125-foot training vessel collided with a massive Argentinian freighter.
“He always had the same a smile on his face,” said Katie Lemon.
The Newport News natives say their bright and easy going big brother made a lasting impression.
“Always smiling. Full of laughter,” said Doug. “A lot of fun to grow up with. He was always fascinated by the water. I remember when we would all go to the beach when we were little and Bill was always out in the water.”
In 1974, at the age of 17, William combined his love of the outdoors and the ocean by joining the Coast Guard.
“He really wanted to make it in OCS in the Coast Guard and make it a career,” said Katie.
William found his calling.
“He had fallen in love with the Coast Guard, and that’s where he wanted to be for the rest of his life,” said Katie.
Yeoman First Class Carter thrived in his role helping others.
“That was his Zen. That is where he wanted to be. That was his Zen,” said Doug.
His second home was the aging Officer Candidate training vessel Cuyahoga based in Yorktown.
“She was fondly known as a buck and a quarter. She was a 125 feet long Coast Guard cutter,” said Katie. “That was his baby. He loved her. He loved her.”
On the night of October 20, 1978, the Cuyahoga and her crew of 29 — including William — were moving through the Chesapeake Bay.
At about 9 p.m., a 521-foot Argentinian freighter, the Santa Cruz II, crushed the Cuyahoga.
“In a split second, life can change,” said Doug.
Lt. Paul Benyovszky, stationed at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, said the smaller Coast Guard cutter doesn’t stand a chance.
“The incident occurred about 12 nautical miles from here at the mouth of the Potomac River. Not far at all," Benyovszky said. "The collision was so fierce that the ship sank in two minutes. Two minutes is an extremely short amount of time. You have virtually no time to react.”
The Coast Guardsmen struggled to survive in the dark waters.
Rescuers from the all-volunteer Smith Point Sea Rescue raced to the scene of the accident, according to volunteer Bill Turville.
“We actually sent out three boats that night. They were crewed to search for survivors,” said Bill. “The ship went down in two minutes. Rolled over on its side and swished underwater.”
Retired Coast Guard Captain and Smith Point volunteer Mark Meservey said the accident likely could have been avoided.
“Basically they were on a collision course and did not realize it. Good visibility that night. The seas were calm. And it happened,” said Meservey. “One boat turned into the path of the other, and there was a collision.”
Several crew members go missing including William Carter.
“My dad said, ‘The Cuyahoga was sunk last night. We don’t know if Bill is a survivor,’” said Doug.
For Doug and Katie, hope fades as minutes turn to hours and hours become days with no sign of their brother.
“Every time they had a news break on the radio we would stop,” said Katie. “No additional survivors.”
One week after the sinking, the Cuyahoga was raised from bed of the bay. Inside, they found the remains of Yeoman First Class Carter and other victims.
“It was on the seventh day that he was found. He was actually buried on Halloween,” said Doug. “We endured. Yeah.”
Of the 29 crew members on board the Cuyahoga, 11 perished.
“It finally lets you just close it up. Closure,” said Katie. “Finally have that answer.”
Captain Scott Rae said new safety measures and procedures enacted following the accident mean the Coast Guardsmen did not die in vain.
“It was tied up right here at the end of our pier, and at the end of our dock. Who knew that night was going to be the last time it was going to see Yorktown or the York River,” said Captain Rae. “The Cuyahoga is still to this day, one of the more tragic and large losses that the Coast Guard has had. It does transcend across the Coast Guard.”
On the anniversary of that fateful night, the maritime service remembers the Cuyahoga’s crew with solemn ceremonies.
“We want to honor the servicemen and not forget their service to our country,” said Captain Rae.
Each October, Captain Kendra Simpson leads Smith Point Sea Rescue in laying a wreath at the spot where the doomed cutter went down.
“It is a huge honor to be asked and to participate with the Coast Guard,” said Simpson.
“It is an opportunity for us to honor the people that have paid the ultimate price on the water,” said Turville.
“The Coast Guard is a family. We are very small,” said Captain Rae. “Whenever we lose a shipmate, whether it is one or 11, it is too many.”
At Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown a new memorial along with artifacts from the cutter guarantees families their loved ones lost will not be forgotten.
“My promise to them that I would find a way to ensure that that never happened,” said Captain Rae.
Following the collision, it was determined that the commanding officer of the U.S.G.C. Cuyahoga failed to properly identify the running lights of the massive freighter that collided with the cutter.
The Cuyahoga was eventually sunk 15 miles off the coast of Virginia as an artificial reef. She rests 100 feet down, a popular spot for diving.
“That was the last family picture taken of us together,” said Doug Carter.
Forty-eight years later the mention of the Cuyahoga can still dredge up painful memories and all that could have been.
“We’ve always tried to raise our kids so they know about their uncle,” said Katie Lemon.
For Katie Lemon and Doug Carter reminiscing and looking at aging photos of their brother also soothes lingering sorrow.
“We are all laughing. Bill is so relaxed. And he always has the same smile on his face,” said Katie.
Cherished memories of a brother who will forever be a 22-year-old sailing the high seas.
“You put one foot in front of the other and you keep going. And don’t let people forget them,” said Katie. “We think about him a lot. We miss him.”
Watch Greg McQuade's stories on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. If you know someone Greg should profile, email him at greg.mcquade@wtvr.com.
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