Michael Augustine Healy was an American captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service (predecessor of the United States Coast Guard).
Following U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward's Alaska purchase
of the vast region in 1867, Healy patrolled the 20,000 miles
(32,000 km) of Alaskan coastline for more than 20 years, earning great
respect from the natives and seafarers alike. After commercial fishing
had depleted the whale and seal populations, his assistance with
introduction of Siberian reindeer helped prevent starvation among the native Alaskans.
Nicknamed "Hell Roaring Mike," Healy was the son of an Irish-born
planter and his African-American slave and was later recognized as the
first man of African-American descent to command a ship of the United States government. The author Jack London was inspired by his command of the USRC Bear. Commissioned in 1999, the USCGC Healy was named in his honor.
Additional information is available here.
Source: Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment