The namesake of the ship.

  Lt. Col. Aquilla James "Jimmie" "Big Red" DYESS, USMC
   



 

This story appeared in an Augusta, Georgia newspaper a few days after the incident:

MRS. ROSCOE HOLLEY SAVED FROM DROWNING AT SULLIVAN'S ISLAND

Detailed information has reached Augusta relative to the near drowning of Mrs. Roscoe Holley of this city, which occurred at Sullivan's Island last Friday afternoon. Mrs. Holley was in the surf, which was exceeedingly rough. The tide began to ebb and she was being rapidly taken out to sea. Several attempts at rescue were made and given up because the parties attempting were not expert swimmers and realized the hopelessness of their efforts. There were no surfboats available, no life guards on the spot at the time.

Finally, when all hope of rescue seemed gone, a young Charleston lady, Miss Barbara Muller, with courage and bravery unsurpassed, started out in a last ditch attempt to save the drowning girl. At this point, 'Jimmy' Dyess, an Augusta boy who had been bathing further down the beach, came upon and realizing the situation went immediately to the rescue without pause to consider the danger involved in such an attempt in such a heavy sea.

Both he and Miss Muller reached Mrs. Holley after she had been carried perhaps, two hundred yards out. While both the rescuers were expert swimmers, it looked for what seemed to be an indeterminate time to observers, who stood in breathless suspense on the beach that the trio was doomed to certain destruction. Finally, it could be seen, as they appeared from time to time at the crest of the huge waves, that they were gaining slowly and after about thirty minutes they reached beach and safety, where Jimmy's training in the Boy Scouts was of further service in aiding the resuscitation.

When seen by a Chronicle reporter, 'Jimmy' said, "Huh, that's nothing:what else could a man do? If there is any credit, it is due Miss Muller, the bravest girl I ever saw. It looked for a time that we were all gone for a long stay but luck was with us."

Onlookers gave high praise to Miss Muller for a display of bravery and self sacrifice seldom equalled and never surpassed and add that but for the strength and cool headedness of Jimmy Dyess both girls would undoubtedly have been lost.

-article courtesy of Ret. Maj. Gen. Perry M. Smith