RELEASE & PICTURES: Cullman Resident Honored In Washington D.C.

Contact: Darrell “DJ” Jordan
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CONGRESSMAN ADERHOLT CONGRATULATES SPUD CAMPBELL FOR HIS MARITIME MEDAL AWARD

Cullman, Alabama Resident Is Honored In Washington DC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) congratulates Cullman resident, Spurgeon “Spud” Campbell, on the day of his Transportation Department Maritime Service Medal presentation at the National Maritime Day ceremony in Washington DC. Spud Campbell received the medal today at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in honor of his service and sacrifice as a United States Merchant Mariner in World War II on the SS Henry Bacon.

“This country is free because of brave men and women like Spud Campbell who risked their lives for the very liberties we enjoy today,” said Congressman Aderholt. “World War II may be long over, but the appreciation for those who fought for us in that battle is still strong.”

During World War II, Spud Campbell’s ship was tasked with carrying 7,500 tons of war cargo to Murmansk, Russia. During the trip back to America, it carried 19 Norwegian refugees who were being evacuated. On February 23, 1945, German aircraft attacked the SS Henry Bacon in the Barents Sea of the Arctic Ocean. Campbell survived the sinking of the SS Henry Bacon, but twenty-two crew members and seven members of the United States Navy Armed Guard lost their lives.

Spud Campbell’s story is highlighted as a display in the “On the Water, Stories from Maritime America” permanent exhibit at the National Museum of American History. His story is also detailed in the book, “Waves Astern: A Memoir Of World War II And The Cold War”, in which Campbell recalls eight decades of Merchant Marine adventures. In the book, Campbell describes the February 23rd night and his efforts to send SOS signals in gale-force winds and their miraculous rescue.

You can read more about Spud Campbell’s Smithsonian Museum exhibit at www.americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater

Photograph information:

Picture #1: from left to right: wife Bea Campbell & Spud Campbell are pictured in front of the “One The Water, Stories from Maritime America” exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on May 22, 2009.

Picture #2: Spud Campbell with his Maritime Medals

Picture #3: Transportation Department Maritime Service Medals