Governors Island Ferry or the Lt. Samuel S. Coursen ferry, survived all three of Governors Island’s incarnations. Today ferry is still going strong.
Shuttles thousands of visitors Lieutenant Coursen is 860 ton ferry.
Lt. Samuel S. Coursen served in the Army and demonstrated tremendous heroism during the Korean War.
Coursen was killed in the act of saving a fellow wounded soldier. Though he did not survive the encounter, Coursen’s sacrifice did allow the wounded soldier to live.
Tragically, Coursen was only 24 years old. Coursen’s valor earned him not only a Purple Heart, but also the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor given in recognition of “risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”
In 1956, a new passenger and vehicle ferry was christened the Lt. Samuel S. Coursen.