The loss of USCGC BLACKTHORN and 23 of her crew on January 28, 1980 remains in the hearts and minds of everyone who has been onboard a cutter as lines were cast off, and even more so if the hull of that vessel was black. Interviews from the surviving crew indicate that the loss of life would have been greater if it wasn’t for the actions of Seaman Apprentice William “Billy” Flores. The BLACKTHORN tradgedy is our service’s largest loss of life in a peacetime incident, and is the source of several dramatic changes to Coast Guard policy and the way that afloat community operate on a daily basis.
The following is a brief synopsis of the incident, however you are encouraged to read through SA Flores’s Coast Guard Medal Citation, or one of the many reports of the BLACKTHORN/CAPRICORN collision.
William Flores joined the Coast Guard in April of 1979, Basic Training Company Alpha 124. Upon graduating in May of the same year from Recruit Training Center Cape May, New Jersey he was assigned to the USCGC BLACKTHORN. At the time of his assignment, the BLACKTHORN was already in Tampa, Florida receiving a much needed drydock. Having been out of basic training for less than a year, Seaman Apprentice William Flores and CGC BLACKTHORN got underway for power trials from the drydock on January 28th, 1980. After returning to Tampa to have an issue with the main generator corrected, the BLACKTHORN got underway again just after 1800 en route to its homeport in Galveston, Texas. Just two and one half hours later she would lay on the bottom of Tampa Bay.
On January 28th, 1980 at 2021, BLACKTHORN and the tanker CAPRICORN collided. At that time, SA William Flores had amassed a total of approximately 5 hours of underway time since joining the Coast Guard, his only previous experience coming from the short power trial earlier that day. Initially the damage to BLACKTHORN was thought to have been minimal, but the 13,500 pound anchor of the CAPRICORN, still not hawsed after weighing anchor, dug into the port side of the BLACKTHORN tearing through the hull with a terrifying wail. As the ships began to separate, the cutter listed heavily to port while the crew began to abandon ship. SA William Flores and another crewman, Larry Clutter, immediately ran to the life jacket locker and began throwing life vests to their shipmates already in the water. It is important to note that at this time the swim proficiency standard was much lower than it is today.
As the salt water poured in through the gash in her side, the BLACKTHORN began to sink. SA William Flores used his belt to tie open the hatch to the life jacket locker ensuring even more life jacket made their way to the crewmembers in the water, and then began to help injured and trapped crewmembers; providing comfort to some in their shared last moments. The Officer of the Deck at the time, Lt. Cdr John Ryan, later said of Flores’s actions, “As I struggled, suddenly a life jacket from the locker that was on the main deck came floating up to me.”
It took 20 years for SA William Flores to be formally recognized with the Coast Guard Medal for his actions. Some believe one of the reasons for this delay was due to a large turnover in crewmembers during the BLACKTHORN’s dry dock period. This is supported by interviews conducted during the investigation of the surviving crewmembers who stated they were saved by life jackets being thrown from the BLACKTHORN by “one of the new crewmembers”, but couldn’t specifically recount Flores’s name.
On March 2nd, 2021, SA William Flores was posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, the highest recognition the State of Texas can bestow on a member of the armed forces. He is one of only 21 people to ever receive this honor. Later that year in May, a life-sized statue of Flores was added to the Circle of Heroes located 10 miles off the coast of Clearwater, Florida. In William Flores’s hometown in North Central Texas in the town of Benbrook there is a gravestone marking the young hero’s final resting place.
Last year, the Lone Star Chapter of the CPOA was approached to sponsor a statue honoring SA William Flores’ sacrifice to his nation and shipmates. The city of Benbrook is constructing a new city hall with the statue being the main focal point in an area of the grounds that the town plans on using as the main location for local festivals and city-wide celebrations. The statue will be a bronze version of the statue in the Circle of Heroes, a full sized representation of the young hero. The Lone Star Chapter has a significant fundraising challenge ahead which will ultimately cover the cost of the construction of the statue, delivery, and installation by the summer of 2024. The intention is to hold a commissioning ceremony on the 45th anniversary of the sinking of the BLACKTHORN on January 28, 2025.
HONOR is one of our core values as Coasties; part of the way we honor those who have come before us is by remembering them, learning from them, and teaching our new members about their heroism. This is echoed by the CPOA motto “In Respect for those who have gone before us. And a guide for those who follow”.
In 2012, Chief Warrant Officer Brzuska wrote the cadence “Your Son is Gone” telling the story of SA Flores’s actions.
Left my mama home that day
Headed to sea from Tampa Bay
Mama, Mama don’t you fret
I’ll be safe you can bet
Deck and Conn were watching fine
Didn’t have a care on my mind
Two short blasts signaled harm
Next sound was the collision alarm
Mama, Mama don’t you worry
I’ll get to that locker in a hurry
Takin’ on water, going down fast
I fear today might be my last
My shipmates screamed for me to help
So, I opened that locker with my belt
Mama, Mama please don’t cry
You son is gone, I’ll tell you why
With a heavy list and one large roll
He stayed aboard the BLACKTHORN’S Hull
He gave his life to save his crew
For his sacrifice we thank you
We encourage you to consider contributing towards honoring the ultimate sacrifice made by SA William Flores in his hometown. 100% of the funds raised will be used to Honor SA William Flores and the crew of the BLACKTHORN.
Please feel free to contact the Lone Star CPOA with any questions at Lonestarcpoatx@gmail.com