Mike was an athlete in high school and fearless on the football field. He graduated from Miami Dade High. Mike was technically inclined having built an oscilloscope during his early high school years.
Around the start of the Vietnam war, Mike joined the United States Coast Guard. He trained as an Electricians Mate and was later sent to the 7th Coast Guard district. There he was assigned to the USCGC (Coast Guard Cutter) White Alder (WLM-541), an inland buoy-tender that docked in New Orleans. On December 7, 1968, the White Alder was struck in the Mississippi river by the Taiwan motor-vessel "SS Helena". Mike and sixteen of his shipmates were killed, leaving only three alive from the crew of twenty. Danny Agnew(Mike's half-brother), who was also in the Coast Guard at that time, was allowed a temporary duty assignment to assist searching for Mike's body. A few weeks later Mike was found and identified by the car keys in his pocket. Not all the dead were recovered. Mike had married a girl from New Orleans shortly before the accident occurred. Intelligent and likeable, Mike was an interesting person to be around and a good friend.
Mike was an athlete in high school and fearless on the football field. He graduated from Miami Dade High. Mike was technically inclined having built an oscilloscope during his early high school years.
Around the start of the Vietnam war, Mike joined the United States Coast Guard. He trained as an Electricians Mate and was later sent to the 7th Coast Guard district. There he was assigned to the USCGC (Coast Guard Cutter) White Alder (WLM-541), an inland buoy-tender that docked in New Orleans. On December 7, 1968, the White Alder was struck in the Mississippi river by the Taiwan motor-vessel "SS Helena". Mike and sixteen of his shipmates were killed, leaving only three alive from the crew of twenty. Danny Agnew(Mike's half-brother), who was also in the Coast Guard at that time, was allowed a temporary duty assignment to assist searching for Mike's body. A few weeks later Mike was found and identified by the car keys in his pocket. Not all the dead were recovered. Mike had married a girl from New Orleans shortly before the accident occurred. Intelligent and likeable, Mike was an interesting person to be around and a good friend.
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