Star of Courage

• Awarded on: August 13, 1984
• Invested on: March 15, 1985

Captain James Louis Atwood, S.C.
Star of Courage

On 5 December 1983, Capt. James Atwood, Aircraft Commander of the Sea King helicopter on H.M.C.S. Iroquois participated in the rescue of eleven seaman stranded aboard the freighter NO. 5 Ho Ming floundering off the coast of Newfoundland. The increasing list of the Ho Ming made it imperative to reach the men without delay. Despite weather conditions well beyond normal operating limits, Capt. Atwood elected to attempt a rescue. Struggling against 110 km/hour shifting, gusting winds blowing across the pitching deck and darkness, Capt. Atwood launched his helicopter with a crew of four. The first attempt to lift the survivors aboard the aircraft failed but he returned just before dawn when Iroquois responded to a call that the list had become critical. In an incredible test of nerves, courage and will-power, and with outstanding professional skills, Capt. Atwood positioned the helicopter over the stern of the Ho Ming a task made extremely dangerous by the numerous cranes and antennae moving back and forth as the ship rolled helplessly in heavy seas. Peering into wind-whipped mist, he held the Sea King in a steady hover on two occasions, recovering eleven of the twenty-man crew.