Francis Saltus Van Boskerck
Revenue Cutter Service, later United States Coast Guard | |
---|---|
Years of service | 1891–1927 |
Rank | Captain |
Commands held |
|
Wars | World War I |
Alma mater | Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction, Naval War College |
Other work | Writer and composer of "Semper Paratus" |
Francis Saltus Van Boskerck (October 1868 – November 26, 1927) was a United States Coast Guard captain known for writing and composing "Semper Paratus", the Coast Guard's official march. He held various senior positions within the Coast Guard.
Van Boskerck served in the Coast Guard as commander of the Coast Guard cutters
Early life and education
Van Boskerck was born in October 1868 and was a native of
After many years in the Coast Guard, Van Boskerck attended the Naval War College in 1923 and 1924.[3] Upon leaving, he was made district commander of the Great Lakes District.[3]
Career
Van Boskerck received a commission into the Coast Guard, then the Revenue Cutter Service on May 20, 1891. He would go on to serve twenty-three years of sea duty out of a thirty-six-year career, not leaving the Coast Guard until his death in 1927.[3] He would rise through the ranks of the Coast Guard throughout his career, holding various senior positions.[citation needed]
Pre- and during World War I
Van Boskerck was first nominated for the rank of captain on May 14, 1908 by
Van Boskerck's first prominent position was in 1914 and 1915, when he was tasked with overseeing the construction of the cutters
Post-World War I
When the war ended, Van Boskerck was once again tasked with construction oversight, this time on repairs of the cutter
In 1923, Van Boskerck went to
It was here he would write the music to "Semper Paratus".In 1926, Van Boskerck returned to the East Coast and was named commander of the Norfolk Division in October in order to fill a vacancy.[1] That fall, he took a week of leave and traveled to Washington, D.C.,[1] in order to discuss his retirement from the Coast Guard with Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Miller,[3] also publisher and editor of Coast Guard Magazine.[3] Miller offered him a job as national commander of the Army and Navy Union, which Van Boskerck was honored by.[3] He would have been the first former Coast Guard member to hold the position.[3] That day, he also persuaded Miller to publish "Semper Paratus".
Creation of "Semper Paratus"
Writing of Lyrics
In 1922, Van Boskerck was in command of the cutter USCGC Yamacraw, which chased boats smuggling then-illegal alcohol in the coastal waters of Florida and the Carolinas but was headquartered in Savannah, GA. It was near the shore of this city, where, in his cabin, Van Boskerck wrote the words to "Semper Paratus".[5] He wrote of the experience:
One day,... the inspiration came to me to write a song of the Coast Guard. It was one of those so-called "flashes" that come to people, at times, apparently from nowhere.... And so I went... and wrote the words to the song which I named "Semper Paratus"[3]
He then presented the lyrics to the officers of Yamacraw, expecting criticism.[3] However, despite Van Boskerck having no musical training or experience,[3] the officers loved the song and urged him to compose music,[3] which he would do five years later.[citation needed]
Writing of Music
In 1927, Van Boskerck was in command of the remote Bering Sea Patrol, a post to which he had ascended in 1925 and 1926. It was here he was able to write the music to "Semper Paratus", with the assistance of two dentists of the Public Health Service, Alf E. Nannestad and Joseph O. Fournier[3]—the latter of whom played the violin and was nicknamed "The Singing Dentist" for singing while working.[3] They used a piano owned by Mrs. Albert Clara Gross, the wife of a local fur trader.[3] Gross would often open her home to Coast Guardsmen.[3] Her piano was in poor condition but it has been speculated that it was at the time "probably the only piano in the whole long chain of the Aleutian Islands."[3]
Publishing
Now that he had lyrics and music, Van Boskerck was ready to publish "Semper Paratus". Later in 1927, he traveled to the East Coast and was named commandant of the Norfolk Division. While attending a dance held by the League of Coast Guard Women in Norfolk, he had the nine-piece orchestra play "Semper Paratus" in public for the first time.[3] It was met with thundering ovations and multiple calls for encores.[3]
That fall, Van Boskerck traveled to Washington, D.C. to discuss his retirement with Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Miller, who also served as the Coast Guard Magazine's editor and publisher. After this subject had concluded, Van Boskerck produced the lyrics and sheet music to "Semper Paratus" and said to Miller "In it I have tried to pour forth all the glory, honor, and tradition of the Coast Guard. It is an anthem of Coast Guard lore and history."[3] Less than an hour later, Miller promised to do everything in his power to get the song published.[3]
"Semper Paratus" was published in 1928 by the Sam Fox Publishing Company.[6]
Death
After he delivered the words and music of "Semper Paratus" to Miller, Van Boskerck had intended to head to
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "F.S. Van Boskerck Dies on Steamer". The Evening Star. No. 30524. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. November 26, 1927. front cover. Retrieved 2020-09-26 – via Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
- ^ a b c "Coast Guard Academy History". uscga.edu. United States Coast Guard Academy. 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ LCCN 2010018338.
- ^ a b "Presidential Nominations". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. May 14, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-09-26 – via Chronicling America, Library of Congress.
- ISBN 9781418570989.
- ^ Van Boskerck, Francis Saltus (1928). "Official Coast Guard Marching Song: Semper Paratus: (Always Ready)" (PDF). yorkspace.library.yorku.ca. Cleveland, Ohio: Sam Fox Publishing Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-09-25.