The Author: William R. Benedetto
William
R. Benedetto joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1946 and spent the following
28 years in maritime activities. He served aboard search-and-rescue
cutters; rescued fishing vessels; handled port security on the Great
Lakes; and served as Shipping Commissioner in such active ports as
New Orleans, San Pedro, and Portland. He later became an attorney
and an avid student of merchant marine history, particularly the story
of the Badger State. His articles have appeared in Harper's Magazine
and USCG Magazine. He lives in Wilsonville, Oregon, near Portland.