Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: January 3, 1975
• Invested on: September 22, 1975

On March 1, 1973, Capt. Eugene Storey undertook two mercy flights under most adverse weather conditions when commercial aircraft had been grounded. He made the first flight to the interior town of Stewart in the face of driving snow and a 500 foot ceiling. The second trip was made in the last hour before darkness. It was the pilot's intention to remain in Stewart overnight, but learning that a critically ill patient might not survive without immediate specialist treatment, Capt. Story elected to disregard the perilous conditions and make the return flight. The aircraft was not equipped for instrument landing, and he arranged to rendezvous with a Coast Guard helicopter to guide him down at Prince Rupert. He was obliged to navigate from memory of the route through a winding channel among mountain peaks rising to 5,000 feet. The two successful trips are an evidence, not only of Capt. Storey's skill and experience, but of his humanitarian concern for the welfare of the two sick passengers.