Nelson,
Detailed and interesting posting, mate. Bit of a nitpick, though, on one thing you wrote (but I'm not certain you intended it), viz. "For this action, Buck, Moczkowski, O'Hara, and three other merchant crewmen were posthumously awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal, with Lieut. Willett similarly awarded the Navy Cross."
Actually, of the merchant officers on Liberty ship STEPHEN HOPKINS winning the U.S. Merchant Marine DSM, just four of them were given the award posthumously:
Paul Buck, Master
Richard Moczkowski, Chief Mate
Joseph Layman, Second Mate
Edwin O'Hara, Engine Cadet (Midshipman)
Two of the officers survived the sinking and the month-long odyssey in the lifeboat, and were instrumental in keeping the death rate among their shipmates to a minimum:
George Cronk, Second Engineer
Ford Stilson, Chief Steward (and Medic)
Kit
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