Captain Richard Wester was nominated by Luke, who had the following to say about him: “Rick has led an amazing career in the Coast Guard! He recently retired after 31 years of active military service and loves listening to classic rock, so I knew this would be appropriate! He has served 10+ tours across the nation for the Coast Guard in positions such as Migrant Interdiction, Port Authority, and as the captain of a buoy tender, the CGC Juniper. Rick’s career also had many accolades. One of my favorites was in 1994, when, upon seeing an infant separated from its mother in the water during a Haitian Migrant Interdiction, Rick dove in head-first, dressed fully in law enforcement gear, to save the infant from drowning. He is cited for this within the Coast Guard Academy’s Hall of Heros. On top of his career, he also has volunteered for the national ski patrol as a senior alpine patroller for 35+ years now, and is an amazing father to five children, four of which are internationally adopted. He is a hero to me, and a big inspiration to everybody around him!”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, RICHARD!
