1st US Underwater Memorial Adds 13th Statue Of Coast Guard Seaman

CLEARWATER, FL — It's been 41 years since 18-year-old U.S. Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice William R. Flores died, along with 22 shipmates, when the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn and the tanker Capricorn collided near the entrance to Tampa Bay.

The collision was the worst peacetime disaster in Coast Guard history.

Now the young seaman is being memorialized in the waters in which he perished. On Tuesday, a 6-foot statue of Flores was lowered into the waters 10 miles off the coast of Clearwater, the 13th statue in the Circle of Heroes memorial, the nation's first underwater dive memorial honoring veterans.

“Our family is honored to see my brother become part of such an iconic memorial,” Sam Flores said. “It was William’s nature to help others. We are all very proud of him and grateful to know his story will continue to inspire others for generations to come.”

Flores didn’t abandon ship after the collision in 1980. Instead, he stayed on board to help free as many shipmates as possible. He used his own belt to strap open the life jacket locker door, allowing additional life jackets to float to the surface. If not for Flores’ actions, the Coast Guard said the death toll certainly would have been higher.

“Flores sacrificed his own life to save others, demonstrating extraordinary courage, bias for action and devotion to duty, especially noteworthy given his limited shipboard experience. There is no doubt that he belongs in the Circle of Heroes,” Capt. Matthew Thompson of the U.S. Coast Guard said.

For his efforts, in 2000 Flores was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal, the service’s highest award for heroism in peacetime.

Located off the coast of Clearwater in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 40 feet, the Circle of Heroes officially opened to divers on Aug. 5, 2019. It now includes 13 life-size concrete statues honoring the men and women serving in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Since its launch, the memorial has boosted dive-related tourism, serves as an artificial reef for marine life and, most importantly, has become a therapeutic dive site for disabled veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and trauma.

The goal is to place 24 life-size statues in the 100-foot Circle of Heroes. Click here to donate to the effort.

See related stories:

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• 1st Underwater Veterans Memorial Officially Opens
• Dedication Set For Nation's 1st Underwater Veterans Memorial
• Pinellas Plans For Country's 1st Underwater Veterans Memorial
• Disabled Veteran Scuba Divers Spruce Up Underwater Memorial