COMMENDED
FOR ACTION
IN NOME FIRE
(By Paul Marsh, Coast Guard
Combat Correspondent)
KETCHIKAN, Alaska, Dec. 6.
— (Special)— For conspicuous
gallantry in saving the life of an
elderly man trapped in a burn.
f ing building in Nome, Alaska,
Coast Guardsman Claude L.
Lastinger, 19, of Jcksonville,
Fla., has been awarded the
Commendation Ribbon • by the
Secretary of the Navy, James
Forrestal.
Lastinger, who enlisted in the
Coast Guard in Jacksonville in
June, 1943, has served 17 months
in Alaska, and was assigned to
a Coast Guard Station in Nome
when the rescue took pice. He is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C.
Lastinger of Jacksonville.
At an impressive ceremony#
whidh was held aboard a Coast
Guard Cutter on which he is now
serving as a crew member, Last
inger was presented the Com
mendation Ribbon by Captain C.
W. Marren, District Coast Guard
officer of the 17th Naval Dis
trict, Ketchikan, Alaska.
All ship’s officers and crew
stood at attention while the gom
mendation signed by James For-j
restal was read by the District
Coast Guard Officer. After the
ceremony he was personally con
gratulated by each of his super
ior officers.
In recalling the fire at Nome,
on April 13 of this year, and his
participation in it, Lastinger
said: “I was in bed when the
alarm sounded, but I dressed
quickly and rushed to the blaze.
“An old three-story frame
building was almost hidden by
the clouds of heavy sm(oke that
rolled round and above it, and
flames licked out here and there, j
“We were told that an old
man was trapped on the second
deck, so I grabbed a line and
pushed my way in. When I got
to the first flight of stairs, I
heard someone scream. Guided
by the sound, I ran up another
flight, and a man collapsed in
my arms just as I reached hifn.
“It was too hot for me to no
tice anything about him at the
time, and the smoke was very
thick and choking. The flames
jumped out at us and I had to
feel n^y way along the passage.
When I got down, I discovered
the man was a sourdough about
85 years old.”
Proud to receive the commend
ation, Lastinger insisted that his
Coast Guard shipmates be given
full credit for their part in the
rescue. “After all,” he said, “they
fought the fire and kept it from
spreading to the other flimsy
buildings in the town.
Lastinger’s plans for the future
are centered about a girl and a
home. “When I get out,” he said
shyly, “I’m going to marry my
sweetheart, Gladys Krupp of
Mendola, Illinois, buy a farm
near my Dad’s, arid settle down.
“The Coast Guard is the swell
est outfit of them all,” he con
cluded. “If I ever have to enlist
again for service, it will be In
this same service.”
The full text of the comnjendj
ation reads: “For conspicuous
gallantry in saving the life of an
elderly man who was trapped in
a burning building at Nome,
Alaska on April 13, 1944. Fol
lowing the sounding of an alarm
for a fire in the Odd Fellows’
Hall, Lastinger entered the blaz
I
ing, smoke-filled structure and,
disregarding the peril to his
own life, searched with courage
and determination until he lo
cated the man, who had collaps
ed on the stairs, and then carried
him bodily from the building,
which was later completely des
troyed by flames. Lastinger’s
fearless and decisive action,
without which the man would
surely have perished, reflects
great credit upon the United
States Naval Service.”
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