Coast Guard To Present Award To Local Historian

The Coast Guard will honor an internationally known historian with one of the highest honors the military service can award members of the public at a Coast Guard unit in Philadelphia on September 17 at 10:30 a.m. William D. Wilkinson, director emeritus of the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Va., and the founding director of the international Association for Rescue at Sea, will receive the Meritorious Public Service Award at Coast Guard Marine Safety Office/Group Philadelphia. The award will be presented by Rear Adm. Kevin Eldridge, Assistant Commandant for Governmental and Public Affairs, on behalf of the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Adm. Thomas Collins. Wilkinson is being recognized for his decades of work supporting the Coast Guard’s history program. Most recently, he provided key advice and unique insight on the development of a national Coast Guard Museum. “He is a true friend and supporter of the Coast Guard and a leading authority in his field. We have been extremely fortunate to have his expertise and commitment in helping preserve and honor our Service’s history,” said Eldridge, who, in addition to leading governmental and public affairs efforts for the Coast Guard, oversees Coast Guard’s history programs.