Jay Kerney, pictured here in Morocco, has been nominated for the Maritime Administration’s Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement for a heroic incident that occurred while he was a student in 1961. The nomination, supported by Peter Wurschy, classmate and Regimental Commander in 1965, was resubmitted March 2022 and awaits final disposition.

An upperclassman received third degree burns over 35 percent of his body as he accidentally vaulted hip-deep into an open pit of boiling water in the school’s steam lab. The water had been drained from a boiler just minutes before. The victim’s scream attracted Jay’s attention, a freshman assistant watchman. Jay yanked the victim to the lab floor. Further injury was averted as he immediately started removing portions of the victim’s clothing. Jay sustained injuries as well, recalling “the injuries that I sustained were painful but superficial burns on my hands and forearms. The paramedics on the scene treated the burns with some type of ointment and bandaged me up. I remember being asked if I wanted to be relieved or return to my duty station. I elected to return to my duty station in the steam lab as it was about 2300 hours and it was only a short time before I was to be relieved by the midnight to 0400 watch.” Good luck, Jay.

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