Kulemekeza Mwezi wa Mbiri Yakuda: Richard Etheridge, Ngwazi ya Maritime

Yolembedwa ndi Mark J. Spalding (The Ocean Foundation) ndi Jordan Morgan (University of Maine School of Law)

Pokondwerera chikumbutso cha zaka 100 cha Mwezi wa Mbiri Yakuda, tikulemekeza Richard Etheridge, munthu wotsogola m'mbiri ya zapamadzi zaku America yemwe kulimba mtima kwake ndi utsogoleri wake zinathandiza kupanga cholowa cha US Life-Saving Service ndi Coast Guard.

Kuchokera ku Ukapolo Kupita ku Utumiki

Richard Etheridge anabadwira mu ukapolo pachilumba cha Roanoke ku North Carolina pa Januwale 16, 1842. Richard, yemwe ankaganiziridwa kuti anali mwana wa womugwira ntchito monga kapolo, John B. Etheridge, anali ndi chidziwitso chachilendo monga munthu waukapolo. Anakulira m'banja la Etheridge ndipo anaphunzitsidwa kuwerenga ndi kulemba, luso lomwe likanamuthandiza pa moyo wake wonse wodabwitsa.

Pa nthawi ya Nkhondo Yachiweniweni, Etheridge adalowa nawo mu Union mu 1863, akutumikira mu 36th US Colored Infantry mpaka 1866. Kudzipereka kwake ku chilungamo kunali koonekeratu ngakhale panthawiyo. Panthawi ina, adalimbikitsa anthu akuda okhala ku Freedmen's Colony, ndikulemba kalata kwa komishonala wa Union akutsutsa kuti asilikali oyera ankalowa m'nyumba ndi kuba katundu. Anasaina. "m'malo mwa anthu."

Pambuyo pa nkhondo, Etheridge anabwerera ku Roanoke Island, anakwatiwa mu 1867, ndipo ankagwira ntchito yosodza, mlimi, komanso woyendetsa ndege m'malo olowera. Mu 1875, analowa nawo mu United States Life-Saving Service paudindo woyamba, udindo womwe unali wovuta kuti amuna akuda apite patsogolo panthawiyo.

Kuswa Zopinga ku Pea Island

Chifukwa cha kugwira ntchito mwakhama komanso kudzipereka, Etheridge adakwera maudindo. Pambuyo pofufuza kwambiri adapeza kuti oyang'anira akale a Outer Banks Life-Saving Stations sanagwire ntchito bwino, Superintendent wa USLSS Sumner Kimball adasankha Richard Etheridge kukhala Wosunga Malo Osungira Moyo a Pea Island pa Januware 24, 1880, zomwe zidamupangitsa kukhala woyang'anira nyali woyamba wa ku America wakuda komanso mkulu woyamba wa anthu ochepa woyang'anira malo aliwonse ogwirira ntchito ku US.

Chithunzi: Ogwira ntchito ku Pea Island Life Saving Station cha m'ma 1890. Chithunzi cha Richard Etheridge chili kumanzere. Ofesi ya US Coast Guard Historian's.

Pamene ogwira ntchito oyera pa siteshoniyi anasiya ntchito, anthu akuda ochokera ku America ochokera m'magawo apafupi anabweretsedwa ku Pea Island, kupanga gulu loyamba komanso lokhalo la anthu akuda ku United States Life-Saving Service. Etheridge anapanga masewera olimbitsa thupi omwe anathandiza gulu lake kugwira ntchito zonse zopulumutsa moyo, ndipo siteshoniyi inadziwika kuti "imodzi mwa malo odziwika bwino kwambiri ku Carolina Coast." Iye anali mlonda kwa zaka 20, nthawi yayitali kuposa mlonda wina aliyense wa ku Pea Island, ndipo anamwalira akugwirabe ntchito yake.

Kupulumutsidwa kwa Ankhondo a ES Newman

Usiku wa pa 11 Okutobala, 1896, chombo cha ES Newman, chomwe chinkayenda kuchokera ku Providence, Rhode Island, chinagundana ndi mphepo yamkuntho. Polephera kuponya bwato lopulumutsira anthu kapena kuwombera Lyle Gun chifukwa cha mphepo yamkuntho, Etheridge anasankha anthu ogwira ntchito ngati njira yake yomaliza.

Atapempha anthu awiri odzipereka, Etheridge anawalamula kuti adzimangire zingwe ndikusambira kupita ku ngoziyo pomwe ena omwe anali m'mphepete mwa nyanja anagwira zingwezo ngati chingwe chotetezera pakati pa nthaka ndi nyanja. Usiku umenewo, anthu onse asanu ndi anayi omwe anali m'sitima ya ES Newman anapulumutsidwa, kuphatikizapo mkazi wa kapitawo ndi mwana wake wamwamuna wazaka zitatu.

Chifukwa cha ungwazi wawo wodabwitsa, Etheridge ndi gulu lake adapatsidwa Mendulo ya Gold Guard's Gold-Saving Medal ya US atamwalira mu 1996, kukhala gulu loyamba la Coast Guardsmen kulandira mendulo ya ungwazi pantchito yawo.

Cholowa Chokhazikika

Utumiki wa Etheridge unachitika panthawi ya Reconstruction, nthawi yovuta komanso yoopsa m'maubwenzi amitundu aku America. Zaka ziwiri zokha asanamwalire mu 1900, zipolowe za azungu ku Wilmington, NC, zinachotsa mwankhanza nzika zakuda paudindo wamphamvu. Komabe, Pea Island inapitirizabe kukhala ndi antchito pafupifupi onse a ku America kwa zaka zina 47 Etheridge atamwalira, cholowa chomwe chinafalikira kutali ndi Outer Banks akutali.

Monga momwe Joan Collins, mlembi wa Pea Island Preservation Society adanenera, "Richard Etheridge anatsegula zitseko kwa anthu ambiri aku Africa-America m'derali kuti alowe nawo mu Coast Guard. Kwa zaka 67, Pea Island inali ndi anthu aku Africa-America. Akanapanda kukhala amene anali ndi kupereka chitsanzo chimene anapereka, sizikanatheka zimenezo."

Masiku ano, dzina la Richard Etheridge likupitilizabe. Richard Etheridge, katswiri wodula zinthu zakale wa ku USCGC, amalemekeza kukumbukira kwake ndi utumiki wake. Nkhani yake imatikumbutsa kuti kulimba mtima, kudzipereka, ndi kuchita bwino kwambiri kungathetse zopinga za tsankho, komanso kuti zopereka za anthu akuda aku America zakhala zofunika kwambiri pa cholowa cha dziko lathu kuyambira pachiyambi.

Zokhudza Mwezi wa Mbiri Yakuda

Chaka chino ndi chikondwerero cha zaka 100 cha Mwezi wa Mbiri Yakuda, chomwe chimayambira kukhazikitsidwa kwa Sabata la Mbiri ya Anthu Akuda mu February 1926 ndi Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Wobadwa mu 1875 ku Virginia kwa akapolo akale, Woodson adapeza digiri ya PhD mu Mbiri kuchokera ku Harvard University ndipo adayambitsa bungwe lomwe tsopano ndi Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Anasankha February pa chikondwererochi chifukwa anthu Akuda aku America akhala akulemekeza masiku obadwa a anthu awiri akuluakulu aku America omwe adachita nawo gawo lofunikira pakukweza miyoyo yawo: Abraham Lincoln (February 12) ndi Frederick Douglass (February 14).

Kuyambira mu 1986, pamene Nyumba Yamalamulo inasankha mwezi wa February kukhala Mwezi wa Mbiri Yadziko Lonse ya Anthu Akuda, Purezidenti aliyense wa ku America wapereka zilengezo zovomereza mwambo wofunikawu. Monga momwe Purezidenti Reagan adanenera, "Cholinga chachikulu cha Mwezi wa Mbiri Yakuda ndikudziwitsa anthu onse aku America za nkhondo iyi yomenyera ufulu ndi mwayi wofanana."