History of the United States Coast Guard
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The history of the United States Coast Guard goes back to the United States Revenue Cutter Service, which was founded on 4 August 1790 as part of the Department of the Treasury. The Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life-Saving Service were merged to become the Coast Guard per 14 U.S.C. § 1 which states: "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." In 1939 the United States Lighthouse Service was merged into the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard itself was moved to the Department of Transportation in 1967, and on 1 March 2003 it became part of the Department of Homeland Security. However, under 14 U.S.C. § 3 as amended by section 211 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006, upon the declaration of war and when Congress so directs in the declaration, or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Department of the Navy.
Early history
The Revenue-Marine
The modern Coast Guard was created in 1915 by the merger of the
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The service was first officially referred to as the Revenue Cutter Service in a law passed by Congress in 1863 but the service was also known interchangeably with the Revenue-Marine until about 1890.
After the purchase of Alaska in 1867,
United States Lifesaving Service
A number of voluntary organizations had formed in coastal communities in the 1700s and early 1800s to assist shipwrecked mariners by means of small boats at shore-based stations, notably the Massachusetts Humane Society, which was established in 1786.[15] These stations were normally unoccupied – essentially storehouses for boats and equipment to be used by volunteers. With the signing of the Newell Act on 14 August 1848, Congress appropriated $10,000 to fund lifesaving stations along the east coast.[16][17] These were loosely administered by the Revenue-Marine, but still dependent on volunteers.[18]
This system continued until 1 February 1871 when
Although the Revenue Cutter Service is perhaps more recognized as the predecessor of the Coast Guard, the Lifesaving Service's legacy is apparent in many ways, not the least of which is the prominence of the Coast Guard's search and rescue mission in the eyes of the public. The Coast Guard takes its unofficial search and rescue motto, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back," from the 1899 regulations of the
In attempting a rescue the keeper will select either the boat, breeches buoy, or life car, as in his judgment is best suited to effectively cope with the existing conditions. If the device first selected fails after such trial as satisfies him that no further attempt with it is feasible, he will resort to one of the others, and if that fails, then to the remaining one, and he will not desist from his efforts until by actual trial the impossibility of effecting a rescue is demonstrated. The statement of the keeper that he did not try to use the boat because the sea or surf was too heavy will not be accepted unless attempts to launch it were actually made and failed [underlining added], or unless the conformation of the coast—as bluffs, precipitous banks, etc.—is such as to unquestionably preclude the use of a boat.
A number of Coast Guard traditions survive from, or pay homage to, the Lifesaving Service as well. For example, members of the Lifesaving Service were referred to as "surfmen," and today the
Coast Guard Academy
The School of Instruction of the Revenue Cutter Service was established on 31 July 1876 near New Bedford, Massachusetts. It used USRC James C. Dobbin for its training exercises. Dobbin was replaced in 1878 with USRC Salmon P. Chase, which was specially designed for the assignment as a training cutter.[26] The School of Instruction moved to Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1900 and then again in 1910 to Fort Trumbull, near New London, Connecticut.[27][28] The school provided a two-year premise to ship supplemented by some class work and tutoring in technical subjects. In 1903, the third year of instruction was added.[29] The school was oriented to line officers, as engineers were hired directly from civilian life. In 1906 an engineering program for cadets began.[29] Nevertheless, the school remained small, with 5 to 10 cadets per class. In 1914 the School became the Revenue Cutter Academy and with the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service in 1915, it became the United States Coast Guard Academy.[28] In February 1929, Congress appropriated $1,750,000 for construction of buildings to be used for the academy. The city of New London purchased the land on the Thames River and donated it to the government for use as a Coast Guard facility. Construction began in 1931 and the first cadets began occupying the new facilities in 1932.[30] A fourth year of classes was added in 1932.[29]
Creation of the modern Coast Guard
On 28 January 1915, the United States Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Lifesaving Service were merged by act of Congress to form the United States Coast Guard.[31] On the day of its creation, the Coast Guard had approximately 255 officers, 3900 warrant officers and enlisted men manning a headquarters, 17 regional commands, 4 depots, an academy, 25 cruising cutters, 20 harbor cutters and 280 lifeboat stations.[32]
World War I
Preparation
The Coast Guard's preparations for the coming war actually started before the Declaration of War on 6 April 1917.
Declaration of war
On 6 April 1917, with a formal declaration of war, the Coast Guard was transferred to the operational control of the Navy. All cutters were to report to the nearest Naval District commander and stand by for further orders.
Sinking of USCGC Tampa
During the late afternoon of 26 September 1918, USCGC Tampa parted company with convoy HG-107, which she had just escorted into the Irish Sea from Gibraltar. Ordered to put into Milford Haven, Wales, she proceeded independently toward her destination.[43] At 1930 that evening, as she transited the Bristol Channel, the warship was spotted by UB-91. According to the submarine war diary entry, the U-boat dived and maneuvered into an attack position, firing one torpedo out of the stern tube at 2015 from a range of about 550 meters. Minutes later, the torpedo hit Tampa and exploded portside amidships, throwing up a huge, luminous column of water.[44] The cutter sank with all hands: 111 Coast Guardsmen, 4 U.S. Navy sailors, and 16 passengers consisting of 11 Royal Navy sailors and 5 Maritime Service Merchant Marines.[45] The sinking of Tampa was the largest single loss of Coast Guard personnel in the war.[46] She sank in the Bristol Channel at roughly 50°40′N 6°19′W / 50.667°N 6.317°W.[47]
The 1920s
Post-war struggle to remain a separate armed service
In 1920 the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce held hearings on merging the recently created Coast Guard into the United States Navy.[48]
Prohibition
In the 1920s the Coast Guard was given several former U.S. Navy four-stack destroyers to help enforce Prohibition. The effort was not entirely successful, due to the slowness of the destroyers. However, the mission provided many Coast Guard officers and petty officers with operational experience which proved invaluable in World War II. The Navy's epithet of "Hooligan Navy" dates from this era, due to the Coast Guard's flexibility in enlisting men discharged from other services to rapidly expand; it has endured due to the high proportion of prior-other-service enlisteds, and become a term of pride within the service. Commandant Billard utilized intelligence operatives, cryptology, counterintelligence campaigns and the first signals intercept vessel to support headquarters operations.[49]
1927 Mississippi River flood
During the disastrous 1927 Mississippi River flood, the Coast Guard rescued a total of 43,853 people who they "removed from perilous positions to places of safety". Also, they saved 11,313 head of livestock and furnished transportation for 72 persons in need of hospitalization. In all 674 Coast Guardsmen and 128 Coast Guard vessels and boats served in the relief operations.[50]
The 1930s
Regulation of merchant shipping
The Steamboat Inspection Service was merged with the
Carl von Paulsen rescue
Lieutenant Commander Carl von Paulsen set down the seaplane Arcturus in a heavy sea in January 1933 off Cape Canaveral and rescued a boy adrift in a skiff. The aircraft sustained so much damage during the open water landing that it could not take off. Ultimately, Arcturus washed onto the beach and all including the boy were saved. Commander Paulsen was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for this rescue.[52]
Formation of the Coast Guard Auxiliary
On June 23, 1939, the United States Congress passed the Coast Guard Reserve Act of 1939, creating a volunteer reserve force for the United States Coast Guard. Initially, the Coast Guard Reserve was a civilian volunteer force, and was the predecessor of the
Absorption of the United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service which was the oldest government agency, dating from 7 August 1789, was absorbed by the Coast Guard on 1 July 1939.[53]
The 1940s
World War II
Before the American entry into World War II, cutters of the Coast Guard patrolled the North Atlantic. In January 1940 President Roosevelt directed the establishment of the Atlantic Weather Observation Service using Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Weather Bureau observers.[54]
After the invasion of Denmark by Germany on 9 April 1940, President Roosevelt ordered the International Ice Patrol to continue as a legal pretext to patrol Greenland, whose cryolite mines were vital to refining aluminum and whose geographic location allowed accurate weather forecasts to be made for Europe.[55] The Greenland Patrol was maintained by the Coast Guard for the duration of the war.[56]
The Coast Guard became directly involved in the first World War II attack on America in the 1941
USCGC Taney, a notable World War II era high endurance cutter, is the only warship still afloat today (as a museum ship in Baltimore) that was present for the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, although she was actually stationed in nearby Honolulu.[57] Coast Guard aviator, Lieutenant Frank Erickson, who later pioneered search and rescue helicopter flight, although assigned to Taney was standing watch at Ford Island before the attack then took command of an anti-aircraft battery to fight off multiple enemy aircraft.[citation needed]
During World War II, there was great concern about enemy vessels nearing U.S. shores, allowing adversarial forces to invade the nation. Beach patrols manned by Coast Guardsmen gained increased importance as security forces with three basic functions: to look for and report on any suspicious vessels operating in the area; to report and prevent attempts of landings by the enemy; and to prevent communication between persons on shore and the enemy at sea. Patrolled the shores of the United States during the war.[58] On 13 June 1942 Seaman 2nd Class John Cullen, patrolling the beach in Amagansett, New York, discovered the first landing of German saboteurs in Operation Pastorius. Cullen was the first American who actually came in contact with the enemy on the shores of the United States during the war and his report led to the capture of the German sabotage team. For this, Cullen received the Legion of Merit.[59]
USCGC Modoc was peripherally involved in the chase and sinking of the German battleship Bismarck.
In response to growing tensions due to the Second World War, the
Shortly after Germany declared war on the United States, German
Many Coast Guard cutters were involved in rescue operations following German attacks on American shipping.
USCGC Thetis sank U-157 on 10 June 1942. During the war, Coast Guard units sank 12 German and two Japanese submarines and captured two German surface vessels.
When
The Coast Guard had 30
- 75 patrol frigates
- 8 Flower-class corvettes
- 22 Troopships
- 20 Amphibious cargo ships
- 9 Attack transports
- 76 Landing Ship, Tank
- 28 Landing Craft Infantry
- 18 gasoline tankers
- 10 Submarine chasers
- 40 Yard patrol boats
In addition to antisubmarine operations,
On 9 September 1942 German submarine U-755 sank USS Muskeget, killing 116 of her crew, one Public Health Service physician, and four civilian Weather Service personnel while on North Atlantic weather patrol.
In November 1942, legislation was passed creating the Coast Guard Women's Reserve, also known as the SPARS. Led by Captain Dorothy C. Stratton, around 11,000 women served in various stateside positions, freeing men for overseas duty.
On 3 February 1943 the torpedoing of the transport SS Dorchester off the coast of Greenland saw cutters Comanche and Escanaba respond. The frigid water gave the survivors only minutes to live in the cold North Atlantic. With this in mind, the crew of Escanaba used a new rescue technique when pulling survivors from the water. This "retriever" technique used swimmers clad in wet suits to swim to victims in the water and secure a line to them so they could be hauled onto the ship. Escanaba saved 133 men and Comanche saved 97.[52] Escanaba herself was lost to a torpedo or mine a few months later, along with 103 of her 105-man crew.[66]
During the
On 27 August 1944, the all Coast Guard-crewed USS LST-327 was torpedoed – but not sunk – by U-92 while crossing the English Channel. 22 Coast Guardsmen were killed.
On 12 September 1944,
On 29 January 1945,
As was common during this period, many of Hollywood's able-bodied screen stars became enlistees and left their film careers on hiatus in order to support the national defense. Specifically, actors Gig Young, Cesar Romero, and Richard Cromwell all served admirably in various capacities in the USCG in the Pacific for several years. The A&P heir Huntington Hartford also served in the Pacific as a commander.[70]
Douglas Munro
Signalman 1st Class
Bermuda Sky Queen rescue
On 14 October 1947, the American-owned Boeing 314 Clipper Bermuda Sky Queen, flew with sixty-nine passengers from Foynes, Ireland to Gander, Newfoundland. Gale-force winds had slowed her progress and she was running low on fuel. Too far from Newfoundland and unable to make it back to Ireland, the captain, twenty-six-year-old ex-Navy pilot Charles Martin, decided to fly toward the cutter USCGC Bibb which was at Ocean Station Charlie in the North Atlantic. Martin decided to ditch and have his passengers and crew picked up by Bibb. In 30-foot (9.1 m) seas, the transfer was both difficult and dangerous. Initially Bibb's captain, Capt. Paul B. Cronk, tried to pass a line to the plane which taxied to the lee side of the cutter. A collision ended this attempt to save the passengers, and with worsening weather, a fifteen-man rubber raft and a small boat were deployed from the ship.
The raft was guided to the escape door of the aircraft. Passengers jumped into the raft which was then pulled to the boat. After rescuing 47 of the passengers, worsening conditions and the approach of darkness forced the rescue's suspension. By dawn, improved weather allowed the rescue to resume and the remaining passengers and crew were transferred to Bibb. The rescue made headlines throughout the country and upon their arrival in Boston, Bibb and her crew received a hero's welcome for having saved all those aboard the ditched Bermuda Sky Queen.[52][71] This event spurred ratification of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) treaty establishing a network of ocean weather stations in 1947. A second conference in 1949 reduced the number of Atlantic stations to ten but provided for three Pacific stations.[54]
Enlisted training center
An enlisted training center was established in Cape May in 1948 and all recruit training functions were consolidated in this facility in 1982, when the West Coast recruit center at Government Island (Alameda), California was closed, the facility repurposed and the island renamed. (See Coast Guard Island).
The 1950s
Coast Guard Reserve
By 1950, funds were earmarked by Congress for the establishment of a paid drilling Reserve in support of the Coast Guard's recently expanded port security responsibilities. The first organized Coast Guard Reserve unit was formed in Boston in October 1950, setting the framework of today’s Coast Guard Reserve.[60]
Korean War
During the Korean War, Coast Guard officers helped arrange the evacuation of the Korean Peninsula during the initial North Korean attack. On 9 August 1950, Congress enacted Public Law 679, known as the Magnuson Act. This act charged the Coast Guard with ensuring the security of the United States' ports and harbors on a permanent basis. In addition, the Coast Guard established a series of weather ships in the north Pacific Ocean and assisted civilian and military aircraft and ships in distress, and established a string of LORAN stations in Japan and Korea that assisted the United Nations forces.
Pendleton rescue
On 18 February 1952, during a severe "nor'easter" off the New England coast, the T2 tankers Fort Mercer and Pendleton broke in half. Pendleton was unable to make any distress call; she was discovered on the unusual shore radar with which the Chatham, Massachusetts, Lifeboat Station was equipped, during the search for Fort Mercer.[72]
In all, U.S. Coast Guard vessels, aircraft, and lifeboat stations, working under severe winter conditions, rescued 62 persons from the foundering ships or from the water. Five Coast Guardsmen earned the Gold Lifesaving Medal, four earned the Silver Lifesaving Medal, and 15 earned the
The rescue of men from the
The first of the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class cutters, USCGC Bernard C. Webber, was named in BM1 Webber's honor.[74]
The rescues are portrayed in the 2016 motion picture The Finest Hours, based on the 2009 book by Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias.
The 1960s
Transfer to the Department of Transportation
On 1 April 1967 the Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the newly formed Department of Transportation under the authority of PL 89-670 which was signed into law on 15 October 1966.
The Racing Stripe
In 1967, the Coast Guard adopted the red and blue "racing stripe" as part of the regular insignia for cutters, boats, and aircraft. It was recommended by the industrial design firm of Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, Inc. to give Coast Guard units and vessels a distinctive appearance, as well as clearer recognition from a distance.[75] This "racing stripe" was in turn adopted (in modified forms) by several other coast guards, in particular the Canadian Coast Guard.
Vietnam War
The Coast Guard was active in the
Coast Guard Squadron Three was established on 24 April 1967 in support of Operation Market Time and consisted initially of five high endurance cutters (WHEC) tasked to the Seventh Fleet for used in coastal interdiction and naval gunfire support for shore operations in South Vietnam. The first five cutters arrived on 4 May[79]
Several Coast Guard aviators served with the
The Coast Guard provided Explosive Loading Detachments (ELD) to the
On 13 December 1965
On 22 April 1966,
In August 1970 the Coast Guard finished turning over to the South Vietnamese Navy the patrol boats of Squadron One. The training of South Vietnamese crews had started in February 1969 and continued through to the end of operations for Squadron One.
Seven Coast Guardsmen were killed during the war in combat and search and rescue operations.[85] Additionally, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has determined that Coast Guard veterans who served aboard designated vessels while deployed to Vietnam during the war are "eligible for the presumption of Agent Orange herbicide exposure".[86] The vessels include U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Boats (WPBs), High Endurance Cutters (WHECs), Buoy Tenders (WLBs), and Cargo Vessels (WAKs).[86]
The 1970s
The "New Guard"
In the mid-70s the Coast Guard adopted the blue uniforms seen today, replacing Navy-style uniforms worn prior to the Vietnam War.
Altogether, the shift from Treasury to the DOT in 1967, the uniform change, the end of Ocean Station service, growth of the shore-side establishment by newly added missions, the steady if belated retirement of venerable but aging World War II cutters, and gender integration marked the end of the "Old Guard" ("wooden ships and men of steel").
The
End of ocean stations, beginning of the 200 nautical miles (370 km) limit
One major mission of the service, maintaining
The Kudirka incident
On 23 November 1970,
After attempts to get the
The incident, known for several years as the Coast Guard's "Day of Shame," was portrayed in a 1978 television movie The Defection of Simas Kudirka, with Alan Arkin playing Kudirka and Donald Pleasence playing the captain of the Soviet ship, and USCGC Decisive serving as the USCGC Vigilant. It was also the subject of the 1973 book Day of Shame: The truth about the murderous happenings aboard the Cutter Vigilant during the Russian-American confrontation off Martha's Vineyard by Algis Ruksenas.[97] The incident is the premise of Giedrė Žickytė's 2020 documentary film The Jump (Šuolis), which screened as part of the 2020 online edition of DOC NYC.[98]
The Rescue of AF586
At 1430 on 26 October 1978, "Alfa Foxtrot 586", a Navy P-3C flying with a crew of fifteen on a reconnaissance mission from the VP-9 detachment at Naval Station Adak, Alaska, ditched near position 52°39′N 167°24′E / 52.650°N 167.400°E (approximately 290 miles west of Shemya Island in the Aleutians) following a propeller malfunction and succession of engine fires in its number one engine. VP 9's Aircraft Accident Report recorded conditions at the time of ditching as "1500 foot ceiling, one and one-half to three miles visibility in rain showers, wave height 12-20 feet, winds 223 degrees at 43 knots." Water temperature was approximately 40 degrees. The aircraft sank within 90 seconds.[99]
The crew of Coast Guard HC-130H CGNR 1500 were instrumental in saving the lives of ten crew members from Navy P3C PD-2 "Alfa Foxtrot 586" (Bureau No. 159892) after that aircraft ditched in the North Pacific Ocean west of Shemya Island on 26 October 1978. Arriving on scene after dark in turbulent weather, CG 1500 marked the reported position of the survivors' rafts with a buoy and smoke floats, proceeded to and established communications with a Soviet fishing vessel, Mys Sinyavin, located approximately 25 miles west of datum, and then directed that vessel to both rafts, ultimately resulting in the rescue of ten survivors and the recovery of three dead crewmembers from AF 586. The latter died from exposure after approximately ten - twelve hours in the water-laden rafts, and it is unlikely that the other ten crewmembers could have survived in their rafts much longer as they were all in the advanced stages of hypothermia when rescued by Mys Sinyavin.[100]
The 1980s
The Blackthorn Tragedy
On 28 January 1980, the 180-foot buoy tender USCGC Blackthorn collided with the 605-foot (184 m) oil tanker Capricorn and capsized when Capricorn's anchor entangled the cutter. Twenty-three Coast Guardsmen were drowned. Coming shortly after the loss of 11 men in the collision/sinking of the OCS training ship USCGC Cuyahoga, the impact of this disaster upon morale in the close-knit service was magnified.[101]
Prinsendam rescue
On 4 October 1980, the Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard were involved in the rescue of the passengers and crew of the Dutch cruise ship Prinsendam in the Gulf of Alaska.
A fire broke out on Prinsendam off Yakutat, Alaska on 4 October 1980. Prinsendam was 130 miles (210 km) from the nearest air strip. The cruise ship's captain ordered the ship abandoned and the passengers, many elderly, left the ship in the lifeboats. Coast Guard and Canadian helicopters and the cutters USCGC Boutwell, USCGC Mellon, and USCGC Woodrush responded in concert with other vessels in the area. The passenger vessel later capsized and sank. The rescue is particularly important because of the distance traveled by the rescuers, the coordination of independent organizations and the fact that all 520 passengers and crew were rescued without loss of life or serious injury.[52]
Marine Electric sinking
On 12 February 1983, the cargo ship Marine Electric sank in a storm off the coast of Virginia. Despite efforts by multiple Coast Guard and Navy vessels, most of the crew were lost. As a result of this, the Coast Guard undertook massive review of its rescue procedures, its ship inspection procedures, and its requirements for safety equipment aboard ships.[102]
Some of the reforms that resulted included the items below.[102]
- greater attention to inspection of deck hatch covers during ship inspections.
- requirement for all ships to provide equipment for survival in cold water for all ship's crew personnel.
- the establishment of the Coast Guard rescue swimmerprogram in 1984, in order to greatly improve readiness and training for all rescue swimmers.
The Mariel boatlift
In April 1980, the government of
The end of the lightships
The number of lightships steadily decreased during the 20th century, some replaced by "Texas Tower" type structures (e.g., Chesapeake, Buzzards Bay, both now automated) [2] [3], and others by buoys. However, the Columbia River and Nantucket Shoals Lightships were not replaced by large navigational buoys (LNBs) until 1979 and 1983, respectively, due to the difficulty of anchoring buoys securely at their heavy-weather locations. [4] [5].
The technology of all aids to navigation evolved dramatically during this era, reducing manning and maintenance requirements. The Coast Guard also managed the worldwide VLF
Drug War at sea escalates
During the 1980s, Coast Guard cutters and aircraft were increasingly deployed to intervene drugs far offshore. While the service has interdicted contraband since its inception, the "Drug War" was the biggest effort since Prohibition. Though the Drug War began before the 1980s and continues to this day, it was during the 1980s that the Coast Guard, working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies, used a blend of new and old laws to interdict far from the shores of the United States. Formerly, it was more difficult to prosecute cases involving seizures made beyond 24 nautical miles from shore. President Ronald Reagan's efforts to secure funding for federal agencies and courts to prosecute cases got the Coast Guard's attention.[citation needed] The Coast Guard instituted a "no tolerance" policy toward drugs, began testing its own employees for drug use, and required that all boardings be carried out by trained and armed boarding officers and petty officers. The Caribbean was the focus of efforts in the 1980s, but in recent years the major drug busts at sea have been occurring more in the waters of the Pacific Ocean between California and Peru.
Libyan attack on LORAN Station Lampedusa
On 15 April 1986,
Exxon Valdez oil spill
In March 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels (41,000 to 119,000 m3) of crude oil. Because the incident took place in navigational waters, the Coast Guard had authority for all activities relating to the cleanup effort. The Coast Guard largely served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator between Exxon Mobil and all of these organizations, acting within authority under the Clean Water Act.
Coast Guard cutters were one of the first to respond to the spill, quickly establishing a safety zone around the stricken Exxon Valdez. At least eleven cutters were present in April 1989, the majority of them overseeing booming and skimming operations. Early that month, Coast Guard vessel activity went through a rapid buildup phase. The Coast Guard maintained a heavy cutter presence for two weeks in mid-April and then reduced it towards the end of the month. Four or five cutters were on hand in early May and that number was reduced to two or three by the end of the month. Three cutters were assigned to cleanup operations by the beginning of June, but only one remained two weeks later – and it stayed that way for the remainder of the 1989 response.
Several
The 1990s
'90 Operation Desert Shield
On 17 August 1990, at the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Secretary of Transportation and the Commandant of the Coast Guard committed Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) to
'91 Operation Desert Storm
Prior to the launch of Operation Desert Storm, Coast Guard LEDET personnel aboard the
During the war, Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army was seeking to pollute the Persian Gulf by pouring oil into in an effort only partly stymied when Air Force F-111F Aardvarks bombed the source of the deliberate spill. A giant slick was spreading rapidly, wreaking environmental havoc and threatening Saudi desalinization plants that supplied potable water for coalition troops. Two HU-25B Guardians from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., were dispatched 13 Feb 1991, supported by two HC-130H Hercules from CGAS Clearwater Florida, Operating from Saudi and Bahraini airfields. The HC-130s brought in supplies and returned to the United States 25 Feb.. The HU-25Bs flew over the oil spill to monitor dispersion, rate of flow, the effects of weather and currents, and other data essential for preparing a response plan.[104]
Operation Buckshot, "The Great Flood of '93"
During April and again in June 1993, Coast Guard Forces St. Louis (CGF)was activated for flooding on the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois River basins. The '500 year' flooding closed over 1,250 miles (2,000 km) of river to navigation and claimed 47 lives. Historic levels of rainfall in the river tributaries caused many levee breaks along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers displacing thousands of people from their homes and businesses. The commander of CGF St. Louis set into motion a preconceived operations plan to deal with the many requests for assistance from state and local governments for law enforcement assistance, help with sandbagging, water rescues, evacuation of flood victims, and aerial surveillance of levee conditions. The unprecedented duration of the flood also caused Coast Guard personnel to assume some humanitarian services not normally a part of flood operations. Food, water and sandbags were transported to work sites to assist sandbagging efforts by local governments. Red Cross and Salvation Army relief workers were given transportation assistance. Many homeless animals displaced by the flood waters were rescued and turned over to local animal shelters. Utility repair crews were assisted with transportation of personnel and repair parts. Disaster Response Units (DRU) were formed from active duty and reserve units throughout the Second Coast Guard District and consisted of eight members equipped with three 16-foot flood punts powered by 25 horsepower outboard motors. The DRU's accounted for 1517 boat sorties and 3342 hours of underway operations. Coast Guard helicopters from CG Air Stations in Traverse City and Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Elizabeth City, North Carolina; and Mobile, Alabama provided search and rescue, logistical support and aerial survey intelligence. The Coast Guard Auxiliary provided three fixed wing aircraft. There were 473 aircraft sorties with 570 hours of aircraft operations. CGF St. Louis stood down from the alert phase of operations on 27 August. A total of 380 Active Duty, 352 Reserve, 179 Auxiliary, and 5 Coast Guard civilians were involved in the operation.[105]
1994 Cuban boat rescues
In 1994, about 38,000 Cubans attempted to sail from Cuba to Florida, many on homemade rafts. The Coast Guard and Navy performed intensive search and rescue efforts to rescue rafters at sea. Sixteen 110-foot (34 m) cutters—half the complement of the Coast Guard—were involved in this operation, as well as buoy tenders not normally assigned to high seas duty. Due to a change in Presidential policy, rescued Cubans were sent to the U.S. Naval Station at
1999 Kosovo
In the summer of 1999,
The 2000s
Transfer to the Department of Homeland Security
The Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of Transportation to the
In 2002, the Coast Guard sent several 110-foot (34 m) cutters to the
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
During
The Coast Guard sent Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment (RAID) teams to both Iraq and Afghanistan. The teams assisted the units of other services with the proper declaration, classification, labeling and packaging of container shipments as well as the inspection of containers for structural integrity to ensure each one is seaworthy to cut down on potential shipping problems.[109][110] In addition, the Coast Guard provided multiple men and women as a part of intelligence and cyber detachments across Afghanistan.[111]
On 24 April 2004, Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal, 24, from the USS Firebolt (PC-10), became the first Coast Guardsman to die in a combat zone since the Vietnam War. He was killed in a suicide boat attack on a Basra oil terminal off the coast of Iraq as the crew of Firebolt performed their maritime security mission.
At the height its involvement in both wars, the Coast Guard deployed over 1,200 men and women, including about 500 reservists, 11 ships (two large cutters, a buoy tender, and eight patrol boats), 4 port-security units, law enforcement detachments, and other specialized teams and support staff in order to perform a wide range of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and the Persian Gulf.[112]
Coast Guard units and personnel – both active and reserve component – continue to deploy to the Middle East region even after the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. The Coast Guard is charged with providing harbor defense and security to ports, seaward approaches, and waterways within U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility and ensuring the free flow of personnel, equipment and commerce in the region.[113]
Hurricane Katrina
After Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the Coast Guard dispatched a number of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, small boats, and Auxiliary aircraft as well as 25 cutters to the Gulf Coast, rescuing 2,000 people in two days, and around 33,500 people in all. The crews also assessed storm damage to offshore oil platforms and refineries. More than 2,400 personnel from all districts conducted search, rescue, response, waterway reconstitution and environmental impact assessment operations. In total, the Coast Guard air and boat rescued more than 33,500 people and assisted with the joint-agency evacuation of an additional 9,400 patients and medical personnel from hospitals in the Gulf coast region.
In May 2006, at the Change of Command ceremony when Admiral
HC-130 #1705 crash
On 29 October 2009, Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft No. 1705 with seven crewmembers, based at
The 2010s
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2015) |
CG-6535 crash
A U.S. Coast Guard MH-65C Dolphin helicopter with 4 crew members on board crashed 28 Feb 2012 into Mobile Bay, Alabama.
The helicopter was on a training mission out of U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile.[further explanation needed] [117]
The anti-drug mission and the budget
Due to
Icebreakers
By 2015, due to lack of funding allocated to the billion-dollar class of craft, the United States was operating one medium and one heavy icebreaker, down from a fleet of eight.[120] The Coast Guard estimated it needs three heavy and three medium icebreakers to fulfil its mission.[121] With Russia operating about 27, China preparing to launch a second, and Canada, Finland and Sweden operating more than the United States,[122] President Obama, various lawmakers, and the FY2017 Coast Guard budget request have called for funding at least one replacement for the Polar Star (which will reach end of life by 2020).
Franklin LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018
In December 2018, President Donald Trump signed Senate bill S. 140, also known as the Franklin LoBiando Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018.[124] This legislation was proposed to approve the budget of $7.9 billion which was allocated for operating expenses for the U.S. Coast Guard. An additional $2.6[clarification needed] was authorized for the overall improvement of its infrastructure.[125][126] It also authorized the active duty of 43,000 employees for 2018 and 44,500 personnel for the following year.[126]
The 2020s
Western Pacific
In 2020 the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it would basing a fleet of Fast Response Cutters (FRC) in Guam as a response to "destabilizing" Chinese maritime activities in the Western Pacific.[127]
Titan submersible implosion
During the Titan submersible implosion, the U.S. Coast Guard spearheaded the search and rescue efforts to find the missing submersible alongside the Canadian Coast Guard.[128][129] It was also the U.S. Coast Guard which later announced on June 22 that the submersible had imploded and that they had found its debris.[130]
2023 Hawaii wildfires
The U.S. Coast Guard was involved in extensive efforts to rescue those affected by the 2023 Hawaii wildfires, saving 17 lives as well as locating and assisting an additional 40 other survivors.[131] 157 Coast Guardsmen were engaged with U.S. Pacific Command and FEMA to assist with the crisis.[132]
Aleutian No. 1 tow
In December 2023,
Future
The Integrated Deepwater System Program is designed to meet future threats to the U.S. from the sea. Although the program involves obtaining new ships and aircraft, Deepwater also involves upgraded information technology for command, control, communications and computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR).
A key part of the Deepwater system is the Maritime Security Cutter, Large (WMSL), which is designed to replace the 378-foot (115 m) high-endurance cutters currently on duty. This ship will have a length of 421 feet (128 m), be powered by a gas turbine engine with two auxiliary diesel engines, and be capable of 12,000 nautical mile (22,000 km) voyages lasting up to 60 days. The keel laying of the USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750), the first ship in this class, took place in September 2004. The ship was delivered in 2008. The second keel, USCGC Waesche (WMSL-751), was laid in 2005.
Another key vessel is the Maritime Security Cutter, Medium (WMSM), which will be 341 ft (104 m) long, displace 2,921 long tons (2,968 metric tons), and be capable of 45-day patrols of up to 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km). Both the WMSL and the WMSM cutters will be able to carry two helicopters or four
Billions in cost overruns have plagued the Deepwater program.[134] The GAO and agency observers have offered several opinions for this, and some have questioned whether the USCG should invest in greater number of less sophisticated vessel and air assets rather than paying dearly for cutting-edge technology.
Coast Guard Museums
- Coast Guard Museum Northwest
- Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
- Coast Guard Heritage Museum
- United States Coast Guard History and Heritage Sites, a listing of dozens of historic stations, cutters, lighthouses and more
See also
- Defense of the cutter Eagle, 1814 battle with British Royal Navy
- History of homeland security in the United States
- Military history of the United States
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ Kimball preferred to use the term "Revenue Marine Bureau" and various references use either Division or Bureau to identify the entity.[19]
- ^ The Coast Guard's official 1947 history, Lost Cutters, reports a combined total of 47 deaths on the two cutters. However, Silverstein (2006) reports 48 deaths.
Citations
- ^ Evans, p.5
- ^ Evans, p. 14
- ^ "Protection of Natural Resources". Archived from the original on 20 July 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2006.
- ^ Evans, p. 7
- ^ Evans, p. 75
- ^ Evans, p. 77
- ^ King (1989), p. 175
- ^ Noble (1990), p. 49
- ^ Evans, p. 107
- ^ Strobridge and Noble, p. 73
- ^ Evans, pp. 131–133
- ^ Strobridge and Noble, pp. 50–55
- ^ Evans, pp. 134–139
- ^ Evans, pp. 169–172
- ^ Johnson, p. 4
- ^ Evans, p. 57
- ^ Noble (1994), p. 20
- ^ Noble (1994), p. 22
- ^ Evans, p. 92
- ^ Evans, p. 91
- ^ Noble (1994), pp. 24–25
- ^ a b King (1996), p. 9
- ^ Noble (1994), p. 28
- ^ Noble (1994), p. 1
- ^ King (1996), p. 240
- ^ Evans, p. 95
- ^ Evans, p. 155
- ^ a b Evans, p. 199
- ^ a b c Evans, p. 198
- ^ Johnson, p 109
- ^ Johnson, p. 32
- ^ Evans, p. 216
- ^ a b Larzelere (2003), p. 8
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. xvi
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 138
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 3
- ^ Larzelere (2003), pp. 3—6
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 7
- ^ Larzelere (2003), pp. 11—16
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p.21
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 19
- ^ "The Long Blue Line: The Baker Twins—Re-searching the first female Coasties - or were they?". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 47
- ^ Johnson, p. 55
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 49
- ^ Larzelere (2003), p. 50
- ^ Tampa, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, U.S. Navy Naval History & Heritage Command
- ^ Commerce, United States Congress House Committee on Interstate and Foreign (1 January 1920). "Transfer of the Coast Guard to the Navy: Hearings Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, Sixty-sixth Congress, Second Session, on H.R. 5516. May 27-28, 1920". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
- ^ Bennett, Michael E. “Guardian Spies: The Story of Coast Guard Intelligence in World War II.” American Intelligence Journal, vol. 27, no. 1, 2009, pp. 16–22. JSTOR Retrieved 21 Aug. 2022.
- ^ Johnson, p 99
- ^ "Statement of Admiral Thad W. Allen on the Challenges facing the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Program, Delivered before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure". 2 August 2007. United States government (public domain)
- ^ a b c d e "Top Ten Coast Guard Rescues". Coast Guard News. CoastGuardNews.com. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Johnson, pp. 161–162
- ^ a b "Ocean Weather Ships 1940–1980", Capt. R. P. Dinsmore, USCG (Ret). Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ Walling, pp. 6–8
- ^ Zuckoff, p. 332
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: U.S.C.G.C. Taney (WHEC-37)". United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 29 January 1988. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ Young, Stephanie (28 August 2012). "Mounted beach patrol: When the service saddled up". Coast Guard Compass. US Coast Guard. Retrieved 13 September 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Coast Guard Reserve History". USCG Homeland Security. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "Acacia, 1927" (PDF). U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Acacia". Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ "US Navy Destroyer Escorts". Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ a b Willoughby, Malcolm F. (1957). The U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 169&170.
- ^ Video: Santo Tomas Prisoners Liberated, 1945/03/01 (1945). Universal Newsreel. 1945. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- ^ "The Sinking of the USCGC Escanaba". Dr. Robert M. Browning, Jr. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
- ^ OCLC 31957796. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
The BEDLOE had 5 officers and 33 men on board when sunk, of whom 2 officers and 24 men were lost. The JACKSON had 5 officers and 36 men on board and 2 officers and 19 men were lost.
- ^ a b c Silverstein, PA2 Judy (2006). "Adrift: A CGC Jackson survivor recounts his harrowing survival at sea" (PDF). Coast Guard. No. 2. pp. 28–31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ USS Serpens home page
- ^ Suzanna Andrews, "Hostage to Fortune", Vanity Fair magazine, December 2004
- ^ Archive footage (??) from British Pathé at YouTube. Retrieved 2009-10-12
- ^ a b "The Pendleton Rescue" by Captain W. Russell Webster, USCG, December 2001 Naval Institute Proceedings (Vol 127, pp. 66–69) [1]
- ^ Visser, Auke. "Fort Mercer". Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages. Auke Visser. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ "ALCOAST 132/10 NAMING OF THE FIRST SENTINEL CLASS CUTTER". Commandant Notices. United States Coast Guard. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ^ "Traditions of the U.S. Coast Guard". uscg.mil.
- ^ "Coast Guard Piggyback Weapon".
- ^ a b Larzelere (1997), p xix
- ^ Larzelere (1997), p xx
- ^ Larzelere (1997), p xxi
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Larzelere (1997), p. 193
- ^ Larzelere (1997), p. 203
- ^ Larzelere (1997), p. 279
- ^ Larzelere (1997), p. xxv
- ^ Johnson, p 336
- ^ a b "Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents" (DOCX). Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange - Compensation. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB [Patrol Boat], WHEC [High Endurance Cutter], WLB [Buoy Tender], and WAK [Cargo Vessel] during their Vietnam tours
- ^ "Uniforms". uscg.mil. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
- ^ "Seniority: She made her mark on the Coast Guard".
- ^ "Women in Coast Guard: Historical Chronology". www.history.uscg.mil.
- ^ "Women in Coast Guard: Historical Chronology".
- ^ Tilley, John A. "A History of Women in the Coast Guard" (PDF). Commandant's Bulletin (March 1996). US Coast Guard Historians Office. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ "IN MEMORIAM for ADCMAP John Pershing Greathouse, USCG – the last enlisted Coastie pilot by Don Boyd".
- ^ Military.com. "Military and Veteran Benefits, News, Veteran Jobs".
- ^ "Refugees: How Simas Was Returned". Time. 28 December 1970. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Fidell, Eugene (August 2008). "How to (Mis)Handle a Defection". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ Weiser, Benjamin (15 September 1980). "A New Country and a New Courtroom". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Ruksenas, Algis (1973). "Day of shame: the truth about the ... – Google Books". books.google.com. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
- ^ J.B. "DOC NYC '20: The Jump". Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ISBN 9781612510743.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Coast Guard Reserve Magazine, March 2000. "The 20th Anniversary of the CGC Blackthorn Tragedy" http://www.uscg.mil/RESERVE/magazine/mag2000/mar2000/blackthorn.htm
- ^ a b Marine Electric: The Wreck that Changed the Coast Guard Forever, By Corinne Zilnicki 2019-02-11 maritime-executive.com website.
- ^ a b "U.S. Coast Guard History". Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- ^ "Gulf War 20th: Coast Guard Aviators Battled Saddam Hussein's Oil Spill – Defense Media Network".
- ^ After Action Report for Operation Buckshot, Commander, Coast Guard Forces St. Louis, 2nd Coast Guard District, 15 August 1993
- ^ Advantage, Military. "What Was the Coast Guard Doing in Iraq?".
- ^ "Up to Code: US Coast Guard trains Iraqi port security officers".
- ^ "U.S. Coast Guard History".
- ^ "The Coast Guard raids Afghanistan: a look at the RAID Team and what it does".
- ^ "Coast Guardsmen ship Army units home | WAVY.com". wavy.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Get fit: Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test « Coast Guard All Hands".
- ^ "Navy Boarding Parties".
- ^ "Coast Guard Reserve unit deploys to Middle East on security mission". 25 July 2011.
- San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 October 2009, p. 1.
- San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 October 2009, p. 1.
- San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 August 2010.
- ^ "Coast Guard helicopter crashes in Mobile Bay; 3 still missing (Updated)". 29 February 2012.
- ^ SPAGAT, ELLIOT; WATSON, JULIE (24 February 2014). "Seafaring drug smugglers challenge US Coast Guard". stripes.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ Harkins, Gina (26 February 2014). "U.S. takes a step back in the drug wars". militarytimes.com. Gannett Government Media. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Obama Asks Congress To Fund New Coast Guard Icebreakers". NPR.
- ^ "Icebreaker Crew Commended for Emergency Repairs".
- ^ "As The Arctic Opens Up, The U.S. Is Down to a Single Icebreaker". NPR.
- ^ Seck, Hope Hodge (10 August 2016). "Female Sailor Recognized for Bravery During Iranian Detention Incident". Military.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021.
- ^ "S.140 – Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018". Congress. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- National Archives.
- ^ a b "Congress Sends LoBiondo CG Authorization Act to Trump". Cape May County Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ "U.S. to base Coast Guard cutters in western Pacific".
- ^ "Joint search continues for missing submersible, Titan". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Unified Command established for missing submersible from Polar Prince". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ Whittle, Patrick; Ramer, Holly; Baldor, Lolita. "The Titan submersible imploded, killing all 5 on board, the US Coast Guard says". AP. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Coast Guard, partners expand response efforts for Maui Fires". United States Coast Guard News. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ Vergun, David. "DOD, Coast Guard Continue Support to Maui". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3630819/multimedia-release-coast-guard-tows-disabled-fishing-vessel-to-adak-alaska/
- ^ "Money pit: $3B in cost overruns for Coast Guard's Deepwater procurement -- FCW".
References
- Evans, Stephen H. (1949). The United States Coast Guard 1790–1915: A Definitive History. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. (no ISBN)
- Johnson, Robert Irwin (1987). Guardians of the Sea, History of the United States Coast Guard, 1915 to the Present. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-0-87021-720-3.
- King (1989), Irving H. (1989). The Coast Guard Under Sail: The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, 1789–1865. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-0-87021-234-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - King (1996), Irving H. (1996). The Coast Guard Expands, 1865–1915: New Roles, New Frontiers. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-55750-458-6.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - Larzelere, Alex (1997). The Coast Guard at War, Vietnam, 1965–1975. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-55750-529-3.
- Larzelere, Alex (2003). The Coast Guard in World War I: An Untold Story. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-55750-476-0.
- Lovell, John P. (1979). Neither Athens nor Sparta?: The American Service Academies in Transition. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana. ISBN 978-0-253-12955-0.
- Noble, Dennis L. (1990). Historical Register U.S. Revenue Cutter Service Officers, 1790–1914. Coast Guard Historian's Office, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. (no ISBN)
- Noble, Dennis L. (1994). That Others Might Live: The U.S. Life-Saving Service, 1878–1915. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-55750-627-6.
- Strobridge, Truman R. and Dennis L. Noble (1999). Alaska and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service 1867–1915. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-1-55750-845-4.
- Tilley, John A. "A History of Women in the Coast Guard". Notable People. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- Walling, Michael G. (2004). Bloodstained Sea: the U.S. Coast Guard in the Battle of the Atlantic, 1941–1944. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine. ISBN 978-0-07-142401-1.
- Zuckoff, Mitchell (2013). Frozen in Time. New York, New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-213343-4.
External links
- Official history
- Coast Guard Historian's Office Web site
- Fred (Siegel)'s Place Large reunion/buddy-search bulletin board, begun 1995
- Coast Guard Trivia 125 historical questions at Coast Guard Channel
- Coast Guard Warriors – Part of the Mix Historical vignettes by William R. Wells, II
- Plus articles
- SemperParatus.com Insignia collection, aviation images, miscellany, reading list
- World War II and the West End Online exhibit of Lake Ozette, Washington facilities and personnel (U. of Wash. Libraries Digital Collections – Olympic Peninsula Community Museum)
- Joe Stevens' Kadiak.org Kodiak, Alaska military history site
- Newsreel footage of the Bermuda Sky Queen rescue (1946) from British Pathé (Record No:13803) at YouTube
- Oral histories
- Jack's joint Very extensive anecdotal collection by Jack Eckert
- Dozens of Oral Histories, Memoirs & Other First-Person Accounts at the Coast Guard Historian's Office
- Ken Laesser's The Old Guard
- Three memories at Rutgers School Department of History's Oral History Archives
- Lloyd C. Berger at the Virginia Military Institute
- Coast Guard history section of Sean McPhilamy's Weblog