Waltrip, Furman D. (Furman Dorwin), 1912-1995

Furman Dorwin Waltrip, a career naval officer, was born in Converse, S.C., in 1912. He died at Summerville, S.C., and is buried in the Beaufort National Cemetery (Beaufort, S.C.). Waltrip was serving as a machinist on the U.S. Navy cruiser Omaha in Nov. 1941 when the Omaha and the U.S. destroyer Somers were on patrol in neutral waters off the coast of Brazil. The ships encountered a merchant vessel displaying American colors and the name "Willmoto, Philadelphia." After being hailed, the Willmoto gave unsatisfactory answers to signals and calls from the U.S. Navy ships. Machinist Waltrip and other crewmen and officers from the Omaha were dispatched to inspect the Willmoto, but before the boarding party reached her, she hoisted an international flag signal of distress, and her crew began abandoning ship. As the boarding party approached, they heard explosions from within the merchant vessel. The Willmoto turned out to be the German blockade runner Odenwald masquerading as a U.S. merchantman. Despite the efforts of the German crew to scuttle the Odenwald, members of the boarding party, at risk to their lives, controlled the flooding and navigated the ship into port. Because the U.S. was not officially at war with Germany at the time, the incident was treated as a case of salvage under international maritime codes. The officers and crewmembers of the boarding party were eventually awarded $3,000 a piece salvage money.