My daughter posted this on F/B from the Ferndale museum;

The family of William B. Shields has written to tell the Ferndale community of the death of this U.S. Navy Commander, who was the CDR at the Naval Facility-Centerville Beach from 1969-1973. He died on August 8, just eight months after the death of his wife, Ruth. Prior to coming to Ferndale, in August 1964, Commander Shields had received the Navy a nd Marine Corps Medal: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Lieutenant Commander William B. Shields, United States Navy, for heroic conduct on 1 March 1964 while serving as Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Facility, Pacific Beach, Washington. When a crew member of the Naval Facility became stranded on a piling in the middle of the Moclips River after he and the log he was standing on were suddenly swept from shore by a large wave, Lieutenant Commander Shields, who was alerted to the situation at the Naval Facility, proceeded to the scene and, in company with another of his crew, ventured out on the river in a small dinghy in an attempt to effect a rescue. Despite strong winds, high breakers, and floating debris, including swift-moving logs which threatened to capsize the small craft at any moment, he succeeded in rescuing the tiring victim who undoubtedly would have been washed out to sea and lost.