ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The newest U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter in Florida was commissioned on Wednesday, and it has a Corpus Christi namesake.
According to a press release, the Coast Guard commissioned the 48th Sentinel-class FRC Pablo Valent (WPC 1148) into service in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The namesake of the ship, Pablo Valent, was from Corpus Christi, and he joined the United States Life-Saving Service in 1912.
The release states in September 1919, Valent helped rescue the crew of the hurricane-damaged schooner Cape Horn off the coast of Texas.
For his role in the rescue, he was awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal and the Grand Cross of the American Cross of Honor Society.
"Valent was one of the first Hispanic Americans to receive these honors," the release states.
Like the other FRCs, the Valent is designed for a crew of 24, has a range of 2,500 miles, and is equipped for patrols up to five days, the release states.
The Valent FRC is the first to be homeported in St. Petersburg and will be used in search and rescue efforts, law enforcement efforts, coastal security and will also be a living marine resource.
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