Diving in Darkness: PO2 Owen F.P. Hammerberg

PO2 Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg served in the Navy as a diver near the end of World War II. When two of his fellow divers were trapped underwater as they tried to clear up a shipwreck, Hammersberg volunteered to rescue them. Despite the possibility of cave-ins, debris that could rip open a diver’s air supply, and zero visibility, he successfully found and rescued the first diver, George Fuller. When he finally found the other diver, Earl Brown, the wreckage caved in. A heavy piece of steel fell, causing Hammerberg to be pinned down on top of Brown and crushed to death. Since Hammerberg softened the impact of the debris, Brown survived.

On February 16th, 1946, Boatswain’s Mate Second Class Owen F.P. Hammerberg was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Thanks to his courage, both George Fuller and Earl Brown lived to see another day.

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