On May 19, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara), and the city of Santa Maria were happy to award local resident Jack Sutherlin a certificate for recognition of service for his brave actions while fighting in World War II on Dec. 25, 1943.
Sutherlin’s courageous actions will also be commemorated with a statement in the Congressional Record in the House of Representatives.
In the foyer of the Department of Veteran Affairs outpatient clinic on Main Street, Sutherlin was presented his certificate by Capps, and was given the chance to tell his story. There was an impressive turnout of family, friends, and current members of the U. S. Coast Guard who came to show their support for Sutherlin.
A former U.S. Coast Guard petty officer in World War II, Sutherlin was awarded this certificate of recognition for defending two United States escort carriers returning to San Diego from an approaching Japanese submarine attack by plunging his V204 plane into a nose-dive and releasing a depth-charge 50 feet in front of the submerged submarine.
According to Sutherlin, this event was something that has been on his mind for quite some time.
“I never did know what happened. Security was tight during the war and I didn’t have ‘need to know’ clearance,” he said.
With a desire to discover what exactly happened that day, Sutherlin contacted district representative Greg Haas to share his story and find out how he could get some answers.
“I put him into contact with the National Archives in Washington, D.C. They spent a lot of time with him,” Haas said.
According to Haas, the National Archives reviewed records of what ships were out during that time on Dec. 25, and when they were returning to base.
Sutherlin and his wife, Merle, made the trip to Washington, D.C., to investigate with the National Archives. Sutherlin also sought help from the U.S. Coast Guard historians, as well as the naval attaché of the Japanese consulate about the events of that day.
While there were no records confirming whether the depth-charge worked, Sutherlin asserted that he either “sunk it or ruined their day.”
Either way, after four years of investigation, Sutherlin was finally given the recognition he deserves for his intrepid and valiant efforts while defending his country.
Intern Kristina Sewell compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 2, 2011.