It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => Military News/Veterans => Topic started by: oldcoastie6468 on October 29, 2013, 01:34:18 PM
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Shipmate of the Week – GMC Jesse Meerscheidt
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, October 25, 2013
For many, the morning commute to work involves traffic delays, routine routes and mile upon mile of repetition. But for one Coast Guard member, a morning commute turned into a moment to save a life.
Chief Petty Officer Jesse Meerscheidt, a gunner’s mate at Sector Corpus Christi, was driving to work when he witnessed a head-on collision between two vehicles.
While he has helped at accident scenes before – assisting passengers in their vehicles until emergency personnel?arrived, directing traffic and calming those on scene – Meerscheidt had never had a crash occur right?in front of him before. When he observed the accident, he knew he had? to act.
“I’ve always been an action-oriented kind of person?and chose a life of service – volunteer firefighter, law enforcement officer, Coast Guard – to help others,” said Meerscheidt.
As a gunner’s mate, Meerscheidt has taken part in various trainings that have prepared him for the moment. From learning how to stay calm under pressure and controlling the situation as needed at boarding officer school to understanding the priority of fire danger to rescuers and?victims at firefighting training, the skills he learned and honed over time contributed to his ability to respond.
Meerscheidt approached the vehicle, now ablaze with its fuel tank and fuel lines exposed, with a fire extinguisher. While he feared for myself and had thoughts of?his family, he kept on until the extinguisher expended all its contents and?stopped. Meerscheidt used all of his fire?extinguisher attempting to put the fire out, but only succeeded in knocking?the fire down.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/10/shipmate-of-the-week-gmc-jesse-meerscheidt/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/10/shipmate-of-the-week-gmc-jesse-meerscheidt/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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::USA::
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Don't like burning stuff...I still have vivid recollections of my USN firefighting training...don't want to be what we called in my day a Screaming Alpha (military classes fires A,B,C,D....)...but fires have to be put out or worse stuff can happen...training and drills make it second nature...lucky for them this guy came along.
::thumbsup::
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Olivia Hooker: A SPAR’s Story
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, October 29, 2013
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/OliviaHooker.jpg)
At 98 years old, Olivia Hooker recalled her experiences as one of the first African American female members in the Coast Guard SPAR program during World War II. Hooker is a native of White Plains, N.Y., and received her doctorate as a school psychologist. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ali Flockerzi.
Written by by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ali Flockerzi.
Her living room boasts of an accomplished life; books, pictures and knickknacks line two walls. The lace curtains are drawn, letting in just enough sunlight to reveal stacks of papers in one corner; a few boxes in another. Some might see clutter and mess, but those who truly know her see a lifetime of achievements and memories.
In the center of the room sits a faded couch that is pushed against a wall abundant with shiny plaques, college degrees and family pictures. On that couch, a woman sits ready to tell her story, a smile never far from her lips.
“I didn’t know anything about military life,” said Dr. Olivia J. Hooker, her eyes beaming with excitement. “When they told me to go to basic training, I took a trunk with all my luxuries in it. The seven other girls that went when I went all had duffel bags.”
At 98 years old, Hooker recalls her experiences as one of the first African American female members in the Coast Guard SPAR program during World War II.
On Nov. 23, 1942, legislation approved the implementation of the United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve; the program known as SPAR – the acronym derived from the translations of the Coast Guard’s motto, ‘Semper Paratus, Always Ready’ – became the foundation for women in the Coast Guard today.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/10/olivia-hooker-a-spars-story/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/10/olivia-hooker-a-spars-story/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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:)
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One of the few remaining members of the Greatest Generation.
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::USA::
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Coast Guard Lady becomes honorary chief
Story and photos by Petty Offier 2nd Class Ayla Kelley
Lois Bouton has had an eventful year of milestones. The woman affectionately known as the Coast Guard Lady from Rogers, Ark., recently turned 94 and marked her 70th anniversary of joining the U.S. Coast Guard Woman’s Reserve, known as the SPARs – Semper Paratus, Always Ready, and has been writing to members of the Coast Guard worldwide for 40 years. So, when six prospective chief petty officers from St. Louis went to visit her on her birthday, they decided that she was more than worthy of becoming a chief, too.
When an enlisted member advances to the rank of E-7, they are not required but highly encouraged to partake in the Chiefs Call to Indoctrination. According to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Standing Order One, “the purpose of CCTI is to prepare prospective chief petty officers to perform their roles and responsibilities as a chief petty officer. In addition, this event recognizes the achievement of a significant career milestone. CCTI reinforces the responsibility of all chiefs as leaders and mentors.”
As the six PCPOs from St. Louis worked though their two-month process, they decided Lois Bouton was someone who exemplified the Coast Guard core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty by first serving as a radioman in the SPARs during World War II and then writing three to four letters a day, every day for 40 years, totaling more than 40,000 letters to members in the Coast Guard. They reached out to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Michael Leavitt, to make the request for her to become an honorary chief, and it was immediately bestowed.
During the CCTI acceptance dinner ceremony Oct. 25, to which Bouton was an honored guest, Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River Chaplain Stephen Scott spoke on service. He described how one of the most important aspects of being a chief is always providing a service to the subordinates, supervisors, family, community and country. Bouton served her country out of patriotism during a war and was one of the few who started a path for women to serve in the military. She now serves her extended family of Coast Guardsmen tirelessly with a sincere handwritten letter year after year asking for nothing but perhaps a birthday card in return.
::USA::
https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?shva=1#inbox/142440b12f8a9cc0 (https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?shva=1#inbox/142440b12f8a9cc0)
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Another of the Greatest Generation. ::USA::
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In defense of his country
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, November 13, 2013
“By his outstanding leadership, expert planning, and dauntless devotion to duty, he and his courageous comrades undoubtedly saved the lives of many who otherwise would have perished. He gallantly gave up his life in defense of his country.”
So ends the Medal of Honor citation for Signalman 1st Class Douglas A. Munro, the only member of the nation’s oldest continuous sea-going service to be awarded America’s highest military honor.
Today the Coast Guard paid tribute to this legendary hero, designating its new headquarters the Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building.
The ceremony comes just two days after Veterans Day, a day in which we honor those who have worn the uniform and defended our freedoms. This significance was not lost on U.S. Marine Corps Col. Barney Barnum, a Medal of Honor recipient who attended the ceremony. For him, both Veterans Day and the ceremony served as a perfect time to rededicate “to the principles our great country stands for and what veterans have fought to protect and preserve.”
As a Medal of Honor recipient himself, Barnum shared his thoughts on why it is important to educate the public about the dignity and honor behind the Medal of Honor and recipients like Munro.
“The Medal of Honor stands for, or represents, the metal of America. It stands for who we are, what we have accomplished and what we are prepared to do to – protect our freedom,” said Barnum. “The Medal of Honor is a reminder of the sacrifices made by veterans to ensure our freedoms prevail.”
Munro’s actions at Guadalcanal were critical to evacuating hundreds of Marines to safety, and Barnum drew attention to the close bond the two services share.
“The Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis – Always Faithful. The Coast Guard motto is Semper Paratus – Always Ready,” said Barnum. “We bond because both services are dedicated to our fellow countrymen.”
Retired Coast Guard Reserve Cmdr. Douglas Sheehan, the nephew of Munro, also attended the ceremony. Family members who had traveled from around the country to witness the building’s dedication joined him. Sheehan spoke to the crowd emphasizing how truly remarkable Munro’s actions were in that the highest honor awarded to any Coast Guardsman in the history of the service was awarded to an enlisted man: a first class petty officer.
“His actions showed that our core values – honor, respect and devotion to duty – are more than just words,” said Sheehan. Adding that Munro’s bravery should serve as a reminder of “our mission and the people we serve” to future generations of Coast Guard members.
With the building’s dedication, the name Munro stands as a connection to Coast Guard history and a challenge to carry on the legacy of one the service’s most revered members.
“Petty Officer Munro’s selfless service and sacrifice epitomizes our core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp. “His enduring legacy has, and will always continue to, shape future generations of Coast Guardsmen. We are honoring that contribution to our service by dedicating this building to him.”
At the ceremony, a bust of Munro – created by John Tuomisto-Bell and sculpted and molded by Tyson Snow – was unveiled. As Munro’s likeness came into view, beams of the afternoon sun hit the bronze bust, illuminating his eyes just so. It was if there was a golden glint in his eyes; a reminder of his legacy and how it shines on.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/in-defense-of-his-country/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.r9Su1gA5.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/in-defense-of-his-country/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.r9Su1gA5.dpuf)
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Remembering Douglas Munro: Cmdr. Douglas Sheehan
Posted by Christopher Lagan, Tuesday, September 27, 2011
For the Coast Guardsman, the name Munro is steeped in honor and history. As the only member of the nation’s longest serving naval service to be awarded the Medal of Honor, Douglas Munro has had Coast Guard cutters named in his honor and buildings at Cape May and the Coast Guard Academy bear his name and likeness. But, for Cmdr. Douglas Sheehan, the name Munro has a different meaning. As the grandson of SPAR Edith Munro, the son of longtime Coast Guard supporter Patricia Sheehan and the nephew of Coast Guard legend Douglas Munro, the name Munro is a connection to Coast Guard history and a challenge to carry on the legacy of one our service’s most revered members. On the 69th anniversary of Munro’s death at Guadalcanal, Sheehan remembers the man in whose memory he was named and asks himself, “Why do we do this?”
Written by Cmdr. Douglas Sheehan, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve (ret.)
On an average day in the Coast Guard, 12 lives are saved, 64 search and rescue cases are performed and a host of other actions are part of our day. Ours is a service with an abundance of heroes and role models. So why we do we celebrate a single rescue that took place 69 years ago on Sept. 27 every year? Usually, there are more than 50 people who drive for over an hour or more to a tiny cemetery in the landlocked community of Cle Elum, Wash., for a ceremony to remember the story of Douglas Munro.
The easy, obvious answer is that Douglas Munro is still, to this day, the only member of the U.S. Coast Guard who has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor. This is certainly special and unique.
However, that is probably not the only reason. The fact that almost 500 Marines were saved that day is also a pretty big reason. That’s not only a big number, but you also need to think about the wives, children and grandchildren of those 500 men. My mom died last December, and we had a gathering of friends and family at our house. One of my mom’s very good friends said that if it hadn’t been for her brother, she would not exist. Her dad had been one of the Marines rescued in the evacuation in 1942. In January, there was a ceremony on the Coast Guard Cutter Munro in Kodiak, Alaska, to dedicate a bronze bust of my uncle, which is now a part of their exhibit on the ship. One of the people at the ceremony was a woman from Station Kodiak whose grandfather had been rescued that day.
Another special reason that we probably recognize this particular rescue is because my uncle was killed in action that day. Even though few Coast Guardsmen are killed in our rescue operations, it is almost always dangerous, and it is always a very real possibility that someone will die.
Something that is rarely mentioned about this event is that the highest honor ever awarded to any Coast Guardsman in the entire history of the service was awarded to an enlisted man: a first class petty officer. Our pay grade, rank and rate are an important part of our jobs, but at the end of the day, what is really important is, what did you really do today? I always smile whenever I read a front page newspaper story about a big rescue operation, and they quote a petty officer from the Coast Guard. I can’t help but think there is some Navy guy reading the article, and thinking, “Man, the Navy would never let a petty officer talk to the press!!!”
It continues to surprise me how often I am told by people outside of the Coast Guard, who say after hearing my uncle’s story, “Gee, I didn’t realize that the Coast Guard was involved in World War II.” We have an ongoing battle with public perception about our military readiness missions. If you ask a Marine who was in one of those landing craft at Normandy, “Who would you rather have as your coxswain, A Navy guy or a Coast Guard guy?” I’ve heard some of them say that they if they had a choice, they would prefer the guy with the most experience on small boats – the Coast Guard guy.
One of the common misperceptions of this event, like so many others, is that this is all about what happened in a few hours on a single day. The reality is that the action would not have been successful without a great deal of training, practice and a great deal of preparation. This part of what we do doesn’t get much recognition or glory, but without it, we wouldn’t be who we are. That is also worth remembering on Sept. 27, and every other day.
I remember asking Admiral [Dwight] Dexter, my uncle’s commanding officer at Guadalcanal, “Douglas Munro and Ray Evans were both first class petty officers, and very good friends. So who was actually in charge?” He just smiled and said, “They were both in charge.” In the Coast Guard, we tend to focus on what needs to be done, and this event underscores that. I think it is totally unfair that one person would live and the other would die, but that is just the way things sometimes work out. I think this all speaks to a reality that we all accept in the Coast Guard.
Mike Cooley, a childhood friend of Munro, raised and lowered the flag over Munro's gravesite every day for 40 years.W
(MY EDIT: When he could no longer perform that ritual, the Coast Guard asked the Marine Corps if they would supply a Marine guard at the gravesite. The Marine Corps looked into it, recognized who was buried there, and there was a Marine Guard at the gravesite 24x7x365, at least a while ago.)
Another important reason we remember today is because we realize that we need to pay some attention to Coast Guard history, just like our sister services. We need to take some time, once in a while, to recognize that if you don’t remember where you have been, you can’t really understand where you are going.
We wouldn’t have a ceremony on Sept. 27 if it hadn’t been for Mike Cooley. He came home from World War II alive, and was sad that his boyhood friend did not. He raised and lowered the flag over my uncle’s gravesite every day for 40 years. His actions inspired a lot of people in 1999 to install the light at the gravesite, and to start an annual event. He was the leader of the Douglas Munro Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Cle Elum for many years. His VFW friends were at all the ceremonies: the burial after the war, my grandmother’s burial and at every Sept. 27 ceremony we have had. The next time you meet a member of the VFW, thank them for their service and for their friend, Mike Cooley. He may not have been an official member of the Coast Guard, but his demonstration of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty makes him one of us.
So, I think the real reason we get together every Sept. 27 is because it reminds us why we do … what we do.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/CG-Ceremony-9-27-264010-Color-Guard-300x199.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/CG-Ceremony-9-27-2010-headstone-560x372.jpg)
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/09/remembering-douglas-munro-cmdr-douglas-sheehan/#sthash.Mko69Bsg.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/09/remembering-douglas-munro-cmdr-douglas-sheehan/#sthash.Mko69Bsg.dpuf)
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Thanks for the lesson. ::USA::
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Full list of all MOH awardees here -
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-archive.php (http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-archive.php)
::USA::
We are down to just 8 living recipients left from WWII.
http://www.cmohs.org/living-recipients.php?p=1.. (http://www.cmohs.org/living-recipients.php?p=1..)
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Two father-son MOH recipients that I know of (I'm not looking up 130 pages worth of names).
The MacArthurs, Arthur and Doug, and the Roosevelts, Teddy and Teddy, Jr.
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Shipmate of the Week – CWO Thomas Gelwicks Jr.
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, November 15, 2013
At the heart of The Citadel, an institution rich with military tradition and leadership since it’s founding in 1842, is its corps of cadets. Amid the sea of grey cadet uniforms on campus is one member who stands out with his Coast Guard blue – Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Gelwicks Jr.
Gelwicks is the first Coast Guard officer to be employed at The Citadel and is currently the Bravo Company tactical officer with the Office of the Commandant.
How did Gelwicks find his way to the Citadel? It’s where he came from. A Charleston native, there was never any question as to where he wanted to attend college. He started at The Citadel in 1970, graduating in 1974. The Vietnam War ended his senior year and after graduation he worked at the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Tax Commission as a revenue officer.
As Gelwicks started his career in the civilian world, he was also starting one with the military, enlisting in the Coast Guard Reserve. He credits his father as his inspiration for joining.
“My father is the main reason I enlisted … [he] was in the Pacific with the U.S. Navy during WWII and served in the Coast Guard Reserve from 1964 to 1989,” said Gelwicks.
Gelwicks worked his way up the ranks in the reserves and became a chief warrant officer in June 1999 and retired in November 2012. With more than 29 years of service, he executed a full range of missions including, Desert Shield and Desert Storm deployments, operations post-Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina recovery, Deepwater Horizon response and several space shuttle and trident missile operations in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
His unique operational experiences make him a standout at The Citadel and his impact on campus has resulted in more awareness for the Coast Guard’s maritime and military missions. There were no Coast Guard-affiliated programs on the campus when he arrived and after several cadets came forward with interest in a program, a Coast Guard club formed.
With Gelwicks as the club’s advisor, another Citadel alumni, Bill Riley, helped the club form their own Auxiliary detachment. The Citadel is now one of very few colleges in the nation to support an Auxiliary detachment and for a cadet to be a member of the club they must join the Auxiliary or Reserve.
Gelwicks is quick to dismiss any credit for the club’s success, saying it wasn’t him “but my Coast Guard uniform I wear every day that made Coast Guard interest grow on The Citadel campus.”
Members of the club disagree. Cadet Christopher Zeller is a petty officer third class in the Coast Guard Reserve and says Gelwicks is a testament to the qualities a great leader should have.
“Mr. Gelwicks was my first real mentor with anything related to the Coast Guard,” said Zeller. “Being a grad himself he already knew how the system was supposed to work, and how to accomplish making it through. He was a great help in both areas.”
Zeller reflected on moments in which he saw Gelwicks as “being strong and unshakable” and true to his role as a tactical officer “would get on the company’s case about haircuts or uniform standards.”
But to Zeller, Gelwicks doesn’t represent the disciplinarian who gets on their case; he’s their inspiration.
“Mr. Gelwicks is not just a great asset to the Coast Guard, or to The Citadel, he is what every man should live to be like,” said Zeller. “From having such a strong moral ground, to respecting and upholding traditions, showing leadership by example, listening and considering everyone’s opinion and having the ability to express passion to that extent – these are not just traits of a Citadel graduate, or a retired Coast Guardsman, this is the standard of what a man should try to reach. Mr. Gelwicks has not just reached this standard he has set the bar for it.”
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/shipmate-of-the-week-cwo-thomas-gelwicks-jr/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/shipmate-of-the-week-cwo-thomas-gelwicks-jr/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Warrant Officers are no longer active, right? I thought all the branches grandfathered those ranks out years ago, so any holding that rank are likely to be the last of the careerists when they were still available.
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Warrant Officers are no longer active, right? I thought all the branches grandfathered those ranks out years ago, so any holding that rank are likely to be the last of the careerists when they were still available.
The CG is normally behind in all of these things. As far as I know, CWOs are still good in the CG. I'll research it later, after my dental appointment.
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Warrant Officers are no longer active, right? I thought all the branches grandfathered those ranks out years ago, so any holding that rank are likely to be the last of the careerists when they were still available.
The CG is normally behind in all of these things. As far as I know, CWOs are still good in the CG. I'll research it later, after my dental appointment.
Yes, well, good luck with that!
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Dental appoint went fine; just had a crown installed after the previously mentioned root canal.
Haven't had time to research the WO thing yet.
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Glad that went well.
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Glad that went well.
Imagine MY relief! ::eyes::
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A ‘tower of strength’
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Around 1 a.m. on Feb. 3, 1943, German submarine U-223 torpedoed the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester, which carried more than 900 troops, civilian contractors and crew, off the coast of Greenland. Coast Guard Cutter Comanche served as one of the escorts for Dorchester and the Coast Guard crew began to search for survivors in the water.
(http://[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/David11-200x300.jpg]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/David11-200x300.jpg[/url])
Stewards-Mate 1st Class Charles David Jr. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
The temperature was below freezing, with sea spray icing Comanche’s decks and superstructure. Many of the survivors who were in the water were already lifeless, but lookouts spotted lifeboats full of survivors. Comanche crewmembers took action and one of the men who volunteered to dive into the treacherous, North Atlantic waters was Stewards-Mate 1st Class Charles David Jr.
David was hypothermic from his heroic efforts to save Dorchester’s survivors. Tragically, he contracted pneumonia and succumbed to his illness.
Storekeeper 1st Class Dick Swanson, a crewmember aboard the Comanche, later described David as a “tower of strength” for his actions that day. It was a natural way to describe David, who was well over six-feet tall and 220 pounds. But it wasn’t David’s height Swanson was alluding to; it was his strength of character.
This force of strength will live on in the Coast Guard’s newest ship, Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. The newly commissioned cutter is the service’s seventh fast response cutter and first to be homeported in Key West, Fla.
Retired Master Chief Petty Officer Vincent Patton served as the eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from May 1998 to October 2002. He attended the ceremony as the invocation chaplain for the commissioning.
Patton described the honor of meeting Sharon David, Charles David Jr.’s granddaughter and ship’s sponsor; former crewmember Swanson; and family members of those David rescued, including the executive officer of Comanche.
“It was spiritually emotional knowing that the descendants of the executive officer were present, as had it not been for David, they themselves would not have been born, not to mention countless others who were rescued by David,” said Patton.
As part of the ceremony, Swanson spoke to the attendees about David and how he seemed to be “something of a superman” as he dove into the Atlantic too many times to count, bringing in survivors.
“It was just emotionally stunning to hear about it, and to glance at the cutter numerous times with pride and honor to Charles David Jr.,” said Patton.
With 1.8 million square nautical miles of ocean in the 7th Coast Guard District, the crew of Cutter Charles David Jr. is ready to save lives and live up to the service’s core values, just as their cutter’s namesake did. They are ready to be that tower of strength.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/CGCCHARLESDAVIDJR.jpg)
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/a-tower-of-strength/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/a-tower-of-strength/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Beautiful ship. Beautiful story.
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I sure wish they would name more Navy and Coast Guard ships after people like Charles David Jr.’s and less of them after politicians.
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I sure wish they would name more Navy and Coast Guard ships after people like Charles David Jr.’s and less of them after politicians.
::thumbsup::
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I sure wish they would name more Navy and Coast Guard ships after people like Charles David Jr.’s and less of them after politicians.
Like the USS CESAR CHAVEZ? Or the much desired by queers in San Fagcisco USS HARVEY MILK?
Are you a bigot or a racist???? ::evil:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical::
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I sure wish they would name more Navy and Coast Guard ships after people like Charles David Jr.’s and less of them after politicians.
Like the USS CESAR CHAVEZ? Or the much desired by queers in San Fagcisco USS HARVEY MILK?
Are you a bigot or a racist???? ::evil:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical::
Neither racist or bigot...well maybe the latter, I am extremely anti-asshole! And Harvey Milk (http://itsaboutliberty.com/index.php?topic=5626.msg62413#msg62413) sure fits that description! What a disgrace to name a ship after that crap! All hands should refuse to board it and instead tow it out to sea and scuttle it!
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I sure wish they would name more Navy and Coast Guard ships after people like Charles David Jr.’s and less of them after politicians.
Like the USS CESAR CHAVEZ? Or the much desired by queers in San Fagcisco USS HARVEY MILK?
Are you a bigot or a racist???? ::evil:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical::
Neither racist or bigot...well maybe the latter, I am extremely anti-asshole! And Harvey Milk (http://itsaboutliberty.com/index.php?topic=5626.msg62413#msg62413) sure fits that description! What a disgrace to name a ship after that crap! All hands should refuse to board it and instead tow it out to sea and scuttle it!
Maybe it'd be a ship manned/womaned/who knows what by only such people. I cannot fathom any true sailor wanting to serve on a ship with that name.
As for the CHAVEZ, I'd be insulted to be assigned to that ship, would not report aboard, and would be court martialed. But I would not serve on that vessel. Period.
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I sure wish they would name more Navy and Coast Guard ships after people like Charles David Jr.’s and less of them after politicians.
Like the USS CESAR CHAVEZ? Or the much desired by queers in San Fagcisco USS HARVEY MILK?
Are you a bigot or a racist???? ::evil:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical:: ::hysterical::
Neither racist or bigot...well maybe the latter, I am extremely anti-asshole! And Harvey Milk (http://itsaboutliberty.com/index.php?topic=5626.msg62413#msg62413) sure fits that description! What a disgrace to name a ship after that crap! All hands should refuse to board it and instead tow it out to sea and scuttle it!
Maybe it'd be a ship manned/womaned/who knows what by only such people. I cannot fathom any true sailor wanting to serve on a ship with that name.
As for the CHAVEZ, I'd be insulted to be assigned to that ship, would not report aboard, and would be court martialed. But I would not serve on that vessel. Period.
We're too old school I guess...and if you told me that 30-40 years ago I would have laughed in your face...
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Shipmate of the Week – BMC Jay McChesney
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, November 29, 2013
Written by Petty Officer 1st Class Nick Ameen and Petty Officer 3rd Class Cynthia Oldham.
Coast Guard reservists are required to serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year. One New Jersey-based reservist is devoted to saving lives, in and out of military uniform.
Chief Petty Officer Jay McChesney, a reservist from Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet, N.J., is a qualified coxswain and a registered nurse.
Aside from being a coxswain, McChesney is a boarding team member, boarding officer, station emergency medical technician and the unit’s senior enlisted reserve adviser.
“I have about 16 people in my charge and I handle all aspects of their care – family issues, medical, dental – and ensure they are up to speed with insurance,” said McChesney. “ I still manage to get underway and be a coxswain so I am still fully certified. Not bad for an old man!”
As a reservist, McChesney’s many duties at the station are a part-time job. McChesney works full time at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. He started his career at the hospital working as an emergency room nurse. Now, a member of the hospital’s special procedures unit, McChesney manages critical situations and specializes in patient care.
“Jay’s military and emergency room background make him a tremendous asset to our department,” said Amy Jablonski, Special Procedures operations manager. “He manages critical situations with ease and is a resource of knowledge for other staff members.”
Jablonski says McChesney puts everyone around him at ease with his ability to relate to patients and use humor in difficult situations.
“He is dedicated, compassionate and highly skilled. I feel privileged to work with him,” she added.
In addition to his commitment to the Coast Guard station and the hospital, McChesney also works part time as a flight nurse for Atlantic Health at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, N.J.
“I work in the northern part of the state and fly up there basically every Friday,” said McChesney. “That is a completely separate job.”
McChesney is no stranger to in-flight patient care. He started his Coast Guard service as an active duty member who eventually became a helicopter rescue swimmer. McChesney said serving as a rescue swimmer provided great experience for a flight nurse because of his familiarity of working in an aircraft.
When McChesney left active duty in 1998 he became a reservist boatswain’s mate assigned to Station Manasquan Inlet where he moved up through the ranks and became a chief petty officer.
“I most definitely use the lessons that were taught to me by the chiefs who have come before me: take care of your people — happy workers are better producers,” said McChesney. “I learned everything in regard to leadership from the Coast Guard.”
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Mahoney, commanding officer of Station Manasquan Inlet, said McChesney is a highly respected chief petty officer and an invaluable asset.
“Chief McChesney’s attitude and outstanding work ethic is the driving force behind so many of Station Manasquan Inlet’s reserve members certifying in their respective boat crew and law enforcement positions,” said Mahoney. “As the unit’s [senior enlisted reserve adviser], he is an important link between the station command, reserve members and Sector Delaware Bay.”
Mahoney also praised McChesney for how well he mentors junior Coast Guard men and women.
Recently, a junior member from the station, Fireman Christopher Demaree, was diagnosed with leukemia and was admitted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Although Demaree was not under McChesney’s direct care, McChesney made a point to visit him when he could and reiterate he was there for him, for anything, anytime.
Mahoney said it was invaluable knowing one of his own was watching over Demaree.
Demaree has since received a bone marrow transplant and is recovering at home.
Whether he is responding to a Coast Guard search and rescue case, or helping a patient in the hospital or during a flight, McChesney is devoted to helping others.
“I just want to make sure the patient gets taken care of,” said McChesney. “I want to make sure today is OK. That is my whole goal as a nurse. I can’t control what happens tomorrow, I can’t control what happens the next day, but when you’re with me I am going to take care of you.”
::USA::
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/shipmate-of-the-week-bmc-jay-mcchesney/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.YlsJ8ANA.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/shipmate-of-the-week-bmc-jay-mcchesney/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.YlsJ8ANA.dpuf)
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Chiefs, like their NCO brothers-in-arms in others services, are the backbone of any properly maintained and functioning unit! ::thumbsup::
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Chiefs, like their NCO brothers-in-arms in others services, are the backbone of any properly maintained and functioning unit! ::thumbsup::
Without the E-6 and above noncoms, all the services would collapse.
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::USA::
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Coast Guard Heroes: Winslow W. Griesser
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, January 14, 2014
The Coast Guard Compass was proud to unveil the first 14 heroes the service’s new fast response cutters would be named for and we are even prouder to share the next 10 names with you in a continuation of our Coast Guard Heroes series. Over the next two weeks we’ll be sharing profiles of the namesakes of the Coast Guard’s fast response cutters, from legends of the U.S. Life-Saving Service to courageous men who served during the Vietnam War. Today, we share with you the story of Keeper Winslow W. Griesser.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/CGSTABUFFALO.jpg)
Buffalo Life-Saving Station in 1918. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Written by Christopher Havern.
On Nov. 21, 1900, two large scows broke from their moorings some 3 miles southwest of the Buffalo Life-Saving Station in New York; the scows, a type of flat-bottomed boat, drifted toward the breakers. The station’s surfmen saw this from the lookout tower and promptly launched the lifeboat, with Winslow W. Griesser, keeper of the station, aboard.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/CGWW-Griesser.jpg)
Winslow W. Griesser with his Gold Lifesaving Medal. U.S. Coast Guard photo..
A breaker caught the bow of the surfboat and threw it high into the air, pitching the boat end over end. Griesser and all but one of the crew were thrown out and had to swim to shore. Once on the beach Griesser saw that a man from one of the scows was hanging onto a pile. As use of a boat was impracticable, Griesser decided to swim out with a line accompanied by a surfman. Taking the line, the two dashed into the lake, but were thrown back onto the beach. A second attempt saw Griesser’s fellow lifesaver get injured and pushed back landward. Griesser, however, continued.
Nearing the man on the pile, Griesser threw the line to him. He told him to fasten the line around his body and to let go of the piling. The man could only secure the line to his wrist before the waves caught him and fouled the line on the piling.
After 15 minutes Griesser cleared the snarl and the man was pulled to the beach by those ashore. Griesser then swam to the beach. When he finally came ashore, he was so exhausted, he could not stand. For his heroic actions, Griesser was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Feb. 23, 1901.
::USA::
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-winslow-w-griesser/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-winslow-w-griesser/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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A man's man. ::USA::
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Coast Guard Heroes: Richard H. Patterson
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, January 15, 2014
The Coast Guard Compass was proud to unveil the first 14 heroes the service’s new fast response cutters would be named for and we are even prouder to share the next 10 names with you in a continuation of our Coast Guard Heroes series. Over the next two weeks we’ll be sharing profiles of the namesakes of the Coast Guard’s fast response cutters, from legends of the U.S. Life-Saving Service to courageous men who served during the Vietnam War. Today, we share with you the story of Chief Petty Officer Richard Patterson.
Written by Christopher Havern.
On Aug. 11, 1966, Coast Guard Cutter Point Welcome was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron One, Division 12 as part of Operation Market Time, the U.S. naval campaign along the coast to interdict the maritime logistical support of communist forces in South Vietnam from North Vietnam.
While on a patrol in the waters near the mouth of the Cua Viet River, about three-quarters of a mile south of the demilitarized zone, the cutter was attacked by U.S. Air Force aircraft and repeatedly strafed. As a result, the cutter’s commanding officer, Lt. j.g. David Brostrom, along with one crewmen, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jerry Phillips, were killed. Also wounded in this friendly fire were Point Welcome’s executive officer, Lt. j.g. Ross Bell; two other crewmen, Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark D. McKenney and Fireman Houston J. Davidson; a Vietnamese liaison officer, Lt. j.g. Do Viet Vien; and a freelance journalist, Timothy J. Page.
In response, Chief Petty Officer Richard Patterson took charge of the situation. Using a fire hose he quickly extinguished a blaze that had started as a result of the strafing. Then, climbing to the bridge, he took command of the cutter. Patterson ordered crewmembers who were still capable to carry the wounded to safety below decks. Unable to evade the attacking aircraft, he ran the cutter close ashore and directed the crew to abandon ship.
Under his composed leadership, the wounded were wrapped in lifejackets and paired with the able-bodied. Patterson kept his crew calm and organized while they were in the water awaiting rescue. Along with other units, Point Caution came to the assistance of Point Welcome rescuing those in the water.
Soon thereafter Patterson and those of his crew that were not seriously wounded returned to their cutter. They then sailed Point Welcome back to Danang under her own power. The cutter was subsequently repaired and returned to service where she again served with distinction until being de-commissioned and turned over to the South Vietnamese navy.
By his calm assessment of the situation and bold action at great risk to himself, Patterson saved the cutter and the surviving crew. For this he was awarded the Bronze Star with the combat “V” device. Chief Patterson succumbed to cancer on April 12, 2010, surrounded by family and friends. His remains were scattered at sea from Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark following a memorial service at Coast Guard Station Chatham, Mass.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-richard-h-patterson/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-richard-h-patterson/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Saving lives. ::thumbsup::
Next round is on me! ::beertoast::
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Friendly fire, ugh! That war was a fustercluck on so many levels.
Ashes scattered at sea...nice touch!
::USA::
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Friendly fire, ugh! That war was a fustercluck on so many levels.
Ashes scattered at sea...nice touch!
::USA::
Boy are you right Libertas. Both LBJ and McNamara sitting in DC running the war. With McNamara having experience as a 'bean' counter with Ford Motors and a LCDR. Navy (commission gift IMO) going on one B26 mission in WWII as an observer, they thought they were pro's at running a war. Before anything could be done, it had to be approved by them. As far as pro's, shoot, LBJ couldn't even run to the toilet without help IMO. Oh well I'll get of the soap box. (http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv176/rustybayonet_2009/rant8ll_zps9223abda.gif) (http://s681.photobucket.com/user/rustybayonet_2009/media/rant8ll_zps9223abda.gif.html)
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Friendly fire, ugh! That war was a fustercluck on so many levels.
Ashes scattered at sea...nice touch!
::USA::
Boy are you right Libertas. Both LBJ and McNamara sitting in DC running the war. With McNamara having experience as a 'bean' counter with Ford Motors and a LCDR. Navy (commission gift IMO) going on one B26 mission in WWII as an observer, they thought they were pro's at running a war. Before anything could be done, it had to be approved by them. As far as pro's, shoot, LBJ couldn't even run to the toilet without help IMO. Oh well I'll get of the soap box. (http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv176/rustybayonet_2009/rant8ll_zps9223abda.gif) (http://s681.photobucket.com/user/rustybayonet_2009/media/rant8ll_zps9223abda.gif.html)
Yeah. And poor Melvin Laird, a bright guy and product of small colleges (WI Stevens Point & Carlton) who served as an Ensign on a destroyer late in WWII and collected a Purple Heart should have known better, but by then Nixon's promise of "peace with honor" and Kissinger's legendary ego boxed in our options between bad and much much worse...and his Vietnamization plan was the best of what was left to choose from, and it may have worked had not the South been so corrupted and rife with Commie agents. IMO Nixon should have told Kissinger to go on a world tour and stay the fukc away from me while I turn Laird and the Joint Chiefs loose to come up with a plan to crush these bastards wherever they may be even if it means setting the whole nation on fire...but that would have been a real man's response.
At least he was successful in ending the draft, the volunteer force is always superior to a coerced force.
::rant::
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Friendly fire, ugh! That war was a fustercluck on so many levels.
Ashes scattered at sea...nice touch!
::USA::
The entire "friendly fire" incident was allegedly because the USAF didn't have the silhouette of the Coast Guard vessel.
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Coast Guard Heroes: Joseph Tezanos
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Thursday, January 16, 2014
The Coast Guard Compass was proud to unveil the first 14 heroes the service’s new fast response cutters would be named for and we are even prouder to share the next 10 names with you in a continuation of our Coast Guard Heroes series. Over the next two weeks we’ll be sharing profiles of the namesakes of the Coast Guard’s fast response cutters, from legends of the U.S. Life-Saving Service to courageous men who served during the Vietnam War. Today, we share with you the story of Joseph Tezanos.
Written by by William H. Thiesen, Ph.D, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Historian.
In the spring of 1942, 22-year-old Joseph Tezanos, a factory worker and Spanish immigrant, enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. His life would change forever. By the end of the decade, Tezanos would be a highly decorated war hero, a survivor of one of World War II’s worst accidental disasters and one of the first Hispanic American officers in the U.S. Coast Guard. Tezanos’ story is the American dream realized.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/ENSTezanos-733x1024.jpg)
Ensign Joe Tezanos. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
By May of 1943, after a variety of temporary assignments, Joe Tezanos received orders to report to New Orleans to serve on board a new LST, a large ocean-going landing craft whose abbreviated letters designated it as a tank landing ship. By July, Tezanos and his shipmates on board LST 20 would be part of a convoy headed for the Alaskan theatre of World War II.
While serving on board LST 20, Tezanos became a gunner’s mate, the most dangerous rate possible on a World War II LST. Tezanos saw action and managed to survive some of the bloodiest amphibious landings of World War II, including landings on enemy held islands at Kiska, Alaska; Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands; and Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. At Tarawa, LST 20 supported the marines as they slugged their way through what noted World War II Coast Guard historian Malcolm Willoughby termed “one of the most intensely fought amphibious operations of the entire war.”
April of 1944, found LST 20 moored near an armada of transports and LSTs in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, preparing for a top-secret operation named “Forager.” Forager would support the invasion of Saipan, in the Marianas island chain, which was expected to be one of the most hotly contested amphibious landings of the Pacific Theater’s island-hopping campaign. But on 21 May 1944, before the armada could set sail, an explosion on board one of the armada’s LSTs set off a chain reaction among the fleet of heavily loaded transport vessels.
The ensuing cataclysm resulted in the largest accidentally caused explosion of the war in terms of lives lost, including approximately 600 wounded and dead. After the explosion, Tezanos scrambled aboard a rescue boat along with a gang of several other hastily assembled volunteers. The small boat and its intrepid crew steamed into harm’s way despite the risk of being burned alive or blown up. Tezanos and his shipmates rescued men from the water in danger of drowning and evacuated others from the burning ships. After receiving multiple burns in the line of duty, Tezanos helped save over 40 of the disaster’s survivors.
For his actions that day, Tezanos received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, one of the highest medals awarded to Navy personnel for wartime rescue operations. He also received a commendation letter from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Russell Waesche and a citation personally signed by the famous Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, which reads in part: “[for] distinguished heroism while serving as a volunteer member of a boat crew engaged in rescue operations during a fire in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, T.H. on 21 May 1944. Under conditions of great personal danger from fire and explosions and with disregard of his own safety . . .” Nimitz’s citation concludes, “His actions on this occasion were in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service.”
By summer’s end, LST 20 began preparing for its next operation, but Tezanos received orders to undertake Coast Guard reserve officer training. In October, he found himself in New London, Conn., at the Coast Guard Academy to take the four-month program. By early spring 1945, he graduated and became the first known Hispanic American to complete the service’s Reserve Officer Training Program. His wartime commissioning in mid-January 1945 also qualified him as one of the very first Hispanic American officers in the United States Coast Guard.
In May 1945, newly commissioned Ensign Tezanos returned to the West Coast to deploy as boat officer on board the troop transport Joseph T. Dickman where he would spend the remainder of his tour. Most of that time saw his ship transporting troops to the front. After the August 1945 conclusion of hostilities, the Dickman returned thousands of troops to the United States as part of the so-called “magic carpet ride” back home. In January 1946, Tezanos arrived in San Francisco on the Dickman’s last trip and witnessed the ship’s formal decommissioning.
Joseph Tezanos’ Coast Guard career would end that spring, but his life was only beginning. He would go on to college and graduate school, start a family and become a successful international businessman. When he passed away in March 1985, he was interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside many other Coast Guard heroes.
::USA::
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-joseph-tezanos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-joseph-tezanos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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::USA::
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::thumbsup:: ::USA::
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Coast Guard Heroes: Bailey T. Barco
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Written by Christopher Havern.
On Dec. 21, 1900, the schooner Jennie Hall had run aground in a severe winter storm off the coast of Virginia Beach, Va. Upon notification of the grounding, the Dam Neck Station Life-Saving Station keeper, Bailey T. Barco proceeded to the scene and took command.
Realizing the use of the surfboat was dangerous, if not impossible, Barco directed the assembling of the beach apparatus and soon a breeches buoy had delivered all but one of the survivors to safety.
The last victim was so numbed by the cold that he could not help himself. After an unsuccessful effort by one of the members of the Dam Neck Hills Station to ride the breeches buoy out and help the man, Barco decided to take the surfboat out to the wreck and attempt to put two men aboard Jennie Hall. Following several ill-fated attempts, Barco, as boat coxswain, and his volunteer crew launched the surfboat and put two of the crew aboard the rapidly disintegrating ship.
Despite turbulent and freezing seas, he kept the surfboat under oars until one of his own crew was washed overboard. Quickly recovering the man, Barco guided the surfboat back to the beach. The helpless crewman of Jennie Hall and the two volunteers who had been put aboard the wreck were then brought safely to the beach by the breeches buoy. Bailey Barco’s exemplary courage, fortitude and initiative in this valiant rescue reflected the highest honor upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. For extreme and heroic action, Barco was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Oct. 7, 1901.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-bailey-t-barco/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/coast-guard-heroes-bailey-t-barco/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Great reads, Coastie.
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Great reads, Coastie.
Thank you.
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Point Welcome Incident (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97PxI5VEbxk#)
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CG - To many bad memories about this one. Like you, have seen the video before. The Point Welcome and crew staged at Alameda so.......And worth mentioning again Chief Patterson crossed the bar April 2, 2010.
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Remembering Blackthorn
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Yesterday marked 34 years since the sinking of Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn. Of Blackthorn’s 50 crewmembers, 23 lost their lives during the Coast Guard’s worst peacetime disaster. Chief Petty Officer Judy L. Silverstein was at the ceremony honoring the ship’s crew. Below are her thoughts immediately following the ceremony.
Written by Chief Petty Officer Judy L. Silverstein.
My work as a Coast Guard reservist has offered a front row seat to history and the chance to be part of meaningful customs and traditions. The annual ceremony commemorating the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn, the worst peacetime loss of life for our service, has always been a beautiful and solemn occasion, and this year was no exception.
Commissioned in 1944, Blackthorn began her service as a seagoing buoy tender, served as a Great Lakes ice breaker, and soon afterwards patrolled the warmer waters off California, eventually serving Gulf ports in Galveston, Texas, and Mobile, Ala.
Refurbishment brought the ship to Tampa Bay for her final, fateful voyage. Today, Blackthorn lives on – as one of the area’s artificial reefs. She also endures through a fitness center recently dedicated to Ensign Frank J. Sarna III and a vessel named for an apprentice seaman credited posthumously for saving the lives of many of his fellow crew on that tragic night, 34 years ago. The tradition of naming buildings and vessels is characteristic of the Coast Guard’s long-standing history of demonstrating respect and remembrance for our fallen.
In addition to learning from our past, those were themes Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp highlighted in his role as keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony. As one of only 46 still serving who was on active duty in 1980, his perspective is somewhat unique.
“While the loss of the Blackthorn was a seminal event in my young career, most Coast Guardsmen don’t have a personal memory of the tragedy,” he said. “Memorials such as this help us to ensure that we not only honor their final sacrifice, but that we also continue to learn from it so those lessons will live on in our Service, just like the memory of our Shipmates.”
Living in Tampa Bay makes it difficult to avoid thinking about her crewmembers. Speaking with the families of Blackthorn victims only serves to make the annual ceremony all the more poignant and personal.
Patricia Sarna, mother of Ensign Sarna, talked about how close the crew was after spending nearly six months together in Tampa Bay, while the ship was retrofitted. Clutching a rose tied with ribbon emblazoned with her son’s name, she stood amidst a group of family members who survive their loved ones some three decades after the Blackthorn collision.
“Our hearts and our prayers are linked,” she said.
The significance of the tragedy is highlighted by the stories that keep emerging. Chuck Anzibel, a newly-minted 3rd class public affairs specialist in 1980, was working the radio at Air Station Clearwater when the mayday call came in.
“You train for it,” he said, “but you never really think something that awful will happen. I still think about it all the time.”
Yet in spite of the tough memories, Anzibel gives high praise to the annual ceremony, which had nearly 450 attendees this year.
“It gets bigger every year, which is great,” he said, noting its importance. “It keeps the public reminded that accidents can happen right here in Tampa Bay, and that the job of the Coast Guard is more dangerous than people think.”
Held in Blackthorn Memorial Park at the base of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge overlooking Tampa Bay, the ceremony includes an aerial salute by Air Station Clearwater crews, reading of the names of Blackthorn victims and the tolling of the ship’s bell. There are also commemorative wreath presentations and choir music. The carefully-crafted ceremony honoring the crew includes a military gun salute and bagpipes.
Steeped in tradition and respectful remembrance, the annual Blackthorn commemoration is a moving tribute offering glimpses into the finest Coast Guard traditions and our history. But its well-honed components also give a measure of comfort.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/MILITARY/EagleSparkle.gif) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/respect/Hands.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/respect/american-half-staff-flag.jpg)
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/remembering-blackthorn/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/remembering-blackthorn/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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<snip>
Buoy tenders have traditionally had long careers. Many serving more than 45 years.
Aside from routine maintenance, Blackthorn was modernized throughout her career. In 1968 she received air conditioning improvements in her heating and ventilation, and a new 100kw generator. Blackthorn received an "Austere Renovation’ in 1972. Crew berthing, heads, and the dispensary were renewed plus a new lounge and Pollution Abatement System were added. From 15 October 1979 through late January 1980 Blackthorn was overhauled in Tampa, Florida.
Having just completed her overhaul, Blackthorn was outward bound from Tampa Bay on the night of 28 January 1980. Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn was standing into the bay. The captain, LCDR George Sepel was on the bridge, but ENS John Ryan had the conn. Having been overtaken by the Russian passenger ship Kazakhstan, Blackthorn continued almost in mid-channel. The brightly lit passenger vessel obscured the ability of the crews of Blackthorn and Capricorn to see each other. Capricorn began to turn left, but this would not allow the ships to pass port-to-port. Unable to make radio contact with the tender, Capricorn’s pilot blew two short whistle blasts to have the ships pass starboard-to-starboard. With the officer of the deck confused in regard to the standard operating procedure, Blackthorn’s captain issued orders for evasive action.
Though the ships collided, damage did not seem to be extensive. The problem, however, was that Capricorn’s anchor was ready for letting go. It became imbedded in the tender's hull and ripped open the port side. Just seconds after the slack in the anchor chain became taut, Blackthorn capsized. Six off-duty personnel who had mustered when they heard the collision alarm were trapped in the dark. Several crew members who had just reported aboard tried to escape and in the process trapped themselves in the engine room. Though 27 crewmen survived the collision, 23 perished.
In the end the primary responsibility for the collision was placed with LCDR Sepel as he had permitted an inexperienced junior officer to conn the ship in an unfamiliar waterway with heavy traffic.
The Blackthorn was salvaged for the investigation and was then taken out into the Gulf of Mexico and sunk as an artificial reef.
http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Blackthorn1944.pdf (http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Blackthorn1944.pdf)
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Shipmate of the Week – OS1 Megan Vega
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, January 31, 2014
Written by Lt. Cmdr. Travis Collier.
At home, most of us take solace in being able to rest from our day’s activities. But sometimes, that rest is shaken when we are called back to help neighbors in our community. Such was the case for Petty Officer 1st Class Megan Vega.
Around 2 a.m. on a fall night, Vega was awakened by the sound and subsequent signals of a fire at her neighbor’s home.
“I grabbed my cell phone and ran down the hall to the room my mother was staying and told her I saw a fire next door. Then I ran downstairs, still in my pajamas, to see what was happening,” said Vega as she reflected on the night of the fire.
What she saw once she was outside: a home fire blazing out of control. Two occupants were visible: neighbor Ray Elliot and his daughter, Stephanie. Stephanie was safely outside, but Ray had decided to fight the fire with a commercial garden hose; and he was losing the fight. From inside the doorway, Ray wouldn’t listen to his daughter’s calls and was failing in his attempt to combat the fire.
“He may have been a little out of it because of the fire and the smoke inhalation, but he just wasn’t listening to anyone,” Vega said.
What Vega observed was a “two-alarm” blaze, that Ray had no chance to subdue. Firefighting crews were on their way, but Ray was unresponsive to pleas to evacuate his home and move to safety. He was drawn into trying to stop the fire from spreading. Unfortunately the scene was getting worse.
Vega took in the scene and evaluated her next course of action, something she teaches every day as an instructor at Training Center Petaluma. Vega instructs new Coast Guardsmen to become trained operations specialists at their “A-School.” She trains and mentors more than 150 apprentice operations specialists every year, ensuring operational units have the best watchstanders to answer the call. She helps these students determine situational awareness and direct the appropriate response. The skills she imparts to our future watchstanders came to bear when she viewed this situation.
It has been said that operations specialists are the “eyes, ears and voice of the Coast Guard for the maritime community.” That night, Vega was the eyes, ears and voice for her entire community.
Realizing Ray wasn’t listening to his daughter, and assessing that something had to happen, Vega entered the home and pulled Ray to safety. Fortunately, Ray only had breathing problems due to smoke inhalation. Had Vega not responded and pulled him away from danger, it’s unknown what would have happened.
Operations specialists train for these situations every day. They train to be the calm voice of the Coast Guard during some of the most extraordinary events. It’s not often an expert watchstander has to directly respond to someone in need. And that’s just what Vega did. She was ready to act.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/shipmate-of-the-week-os1-megan-vega/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/01/shipmate-of-the-week-os1-megan-vega/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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From air station to ice station
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, February 5, 2014
It was a cold, windy and snowy morning on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A fierce winter storm had blown through the night before and entire towns were shut down because of the conditions. Emergencies don’t wait for the weather to clear, however, and a patient at The Outer Banks Hospital needed care beyond what could be provided. With roads swathed in snow, the only way to get out was by air; Air Station Elizabeth City, that is.
Elizabeth City was called in to assist and crews – both in the air and on the ground – began to make preparations. Piloting the aircraft would be Lt. John Poley. He led the crew in a pre-launch discussion about procedures they would use to ensure they could safely complete the mission.
“The highest risk areas for us were the take off and landings in confined areas such as the hospital pads surrounded with freshly plowed snow,” said Lt. j.g. Kevin Riley, the aircraft’s co-pilot. It would be his first case since he started flying in the Coast Guard, making this snowy flight particularly memorable.
With the briefings complete and safety as fresh on their mind as the snow on the ground, the aircrew launched with Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Bergman as the flight mechanic and Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Scheren as the rescue swimmer.
Arriving in Nags Head, Riley recalls seeing buildings completely covered in snow with nearby rivers choked by ice. With a 30-knot tailwind the crew reached the pick up location quickly. Once on scene, Poley elected to use the “hover down” approach method, using the hospital, ambulance and parked cars should they lose reference because of the blowing snow.
“Coming to a 50-foot hover all of us were ‘eyes out’ and calling the snow cloud so that we all would know exactly when we might be engulfed in the snow,” recalled Riley.
Despite the blowing snow, the crew maintained their references all the way down to the ground and the swimmer and flight mechanic got the patient loaded along with a Dare County EMS flight nurse.
“They were impressive to watch,” remarked Greg South, a resident who witnessed the crew in action. “It’s great knowing that when the world stops due to nature’s unkindness, you guys are there to help.”
With the patient aboard, the aircrew took off and did a rapid climb out to stay ahead of any blowing snow. The 30-knot tailwind that had once helped them now hindered them but they soon made it to Norfolk. The aircrew did another “hover down” approach since it worked so well at the previous helipad and safely offloaded the patient for further treatment.
Arriving back in Elizabeth City, most of the storm’s clouds had cleared out and the crew could see the entire airfield for the first time; it was completely covered in snow except for one small spot just perfect for a helicopter landing.
“Our ground crews had spent the time we had been flying the mission in clearing a pad for us to land to near the hangar for our return,” said Riley. “Conditions had improved throughout the flight but it was still very cold and our maintainers had to work hard to recover the aircraft in the snow and ice ramp conditions.”
Air Station Elizabeth City proved once again the Coast Guard is Always Ready, even when nature forces them to transition from operating as an air station to an ice station.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/CGASLizCity.jpeg)
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/from-air-station-to-ice-station/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/from-air-station-to-ice-station/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Service in the skies: A family tradition
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Over the next week, Compass will be featuring men and women who operate in the Pacific Northwest. From Lt. Adriana Knies, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter pilot, and Chief Petty Officer Joel Sayers, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, to Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Burns, a boatswain’s mate and surfman, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Rashad Gipson, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crewman and aviation maintenance technician. Each will be highlighted, along with their shipmates, in the upcoming season of The Weather Channel’s new series Coast Guard Cape Disappointment Pacific Northwest.
Written by Petty Officer 3rd Class Katelyn Tyson.
Coast Guardsmen are born
Some are born to intercept
Some born to protect
Some born to defend
They are all born to save lives
Few are born to fly
“I basically own my own roller coaster,” said Lt. Adriana J. Knies, a recently qualified MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter pilot assigned to Coast Guard Sector Columbia River/Air Station Astoria, Ore. “It’s a gratifying thing to work with a crew and do something different and important every day.”
Every time Knies takes to the skies, she continues a rich family tradition dedicated to aviation and service to her country.
Knies’ father served in the Army as a helicopter pilot and her brother is currently enrolled in Marine Corps flight school.
Wishing to follow in her father’s boot steps, Knies applied to every military service academy. She was accepted into the Coast Guard Academy Scholar Program and attended a year of preparatory school before earning a cadet appointment.
“My dad took me for a flight after I got my military ID,” said Knies. “I knew then that I wanted to fly.”
Nearly a decade later, looking out the window of the Jayhawk’s cockpit, Knies can’t help but admire the landscape of the Pacific Northwest.
The stretch of coastal region between Tillamook Bay, Ore., and Vancouver Island, Canada, has been nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Pacific” because of its unpredictable seas and rough landscape that continually threaten mariners and outdoorsmen alike.
“One day you can be flying hundreds of miles offshore, and the next you’re on a rare inland case to rescue someone in the snowy mountains,” said Knies. “And the weather is constantly different.”
No matter what the case type, Knies always stresses safety as the main priority. She encourages her crews to speak up if they notice anything out of place or unsafe.
Knies said the greatest challenge she faces in her Coast Guard career is learning how to compartmentalize.
“You have to put your personal issues in a tiny box,” she said. “That’s the only way you can deal with what you have to handle right in front of you.”
“Lt. Knies has unwavering dedication,” said Cooley. “She spends countless hours both at work and at home honing her craft as a pilot. You can tell that she’s very devoted.”
Cooley insists that as a Coast Guard commissioned officer, Knies’ leadership skills go far beyond her technical knowledge of the aircraft.
“There’s a human element to being a pilot beyond just manipulation of flight controls,” he said. “It’s my opinion you can tell a lot about a person’s character by how they treat their subordinates. One of her best traits is her ability to be a good leader.”
Knies said it is an honor to be featured on Coast Guard Cape Disappointment Pacific Northwest.
“It’s a privilege, not a right,” she said. “It’s a nice thing that I can give a positive image to the Coast Guard.”
Knies hopes viewers of the show will recognize the vast dedication Coast Guardsmen have to serving the public.
“There’s a lot that we do, and we enjoy doing it,” she said. “I honestly hope people will get a little bit more knowledge of what we do for them and what we’ll always do.”
Every Coast Guardsman has a different reason for serving. For Knies and many others, the call to duty is in their blood. It courses through their veins, fuels their adrenaline and reminds them of their responsibility to be Semper Paratus—Always Ready.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/service-in-the-skies-a-family-tradition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/service-in-the-skies-a-family-tradition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Hoisting Expectations
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Thursday, February 6, 2014
Over the next week, Compass will be featuring men and women who operate in the Pacific Northwest. From Lt. Adriana Knies, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter pilot, and Chief Petty Officer Joel Sayers, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, to Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Burns, a boatswain’s mate and surfman, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Rashad Gipson, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crewman and aviation maintenance technician. Each will be highlighted, along with their shipmates, in the upcoming season of The Weather Channel’s new series Coast Guard Cape Disappointment Pacific Northwest.
Written by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Littlejohn.
When a Coast Guard aircrew is called upon to rescue a fisherman clinging to a capsized vessel 50 miles from shore, or a climber is stranded on an icy ledge at 6,000 feet, mission success demands a team of people possessing a variety of skills, performing specific jobs.
A Coast Guard flight mechanic, among many other navigational and mechanical responsibilities, is the person who operates the helicopter hoist. The hoist controls the cable that lowers equipment and people to and from a helicopter. The flight mechanic controls the hoist while simultaneously relaying commands to the helicopter pilot who is not able to see what is directly below the aircraft.
Less than a year ago, Petty Officer 3rd Class Rashad Gipson, an aviation maintenance technician at Air Station Astoria in Warrenton, Ore., was working to become a qualified flight mechanic. Despite countless hours he’d spent in the hangar, working to ensure all three Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters at the air station were ready to respond, Gipson had yet to run the hoist in a real-life rescue situation.
His commitment to the Coast Guard began shortly after he got his associates degree and found himself less than satisfied in several different workplaces.
“After two years of college I worked several different jobs doing a variety of things,” said Gipson. “I worked jobs in construction, reception and did some tutoring, but I found myself wanting more from my job.”
Gipson’s father, a retired Marine captain, suggested Gipson look at what the Coast Guard had to offer. Gipson did some research, spoke to his local recruiter and decided to enlist. Gipson attributes to his father not only his decision to join the Coast Guard, but also with the success he’s found within the organization.
“My father has always been and continues to be a positive influence in my life,” said Gipson. “I will do my best to follow his example and live up to his legacy. If I become half the man he is, I will be good to go.”
Gipson graduated from basic training at Cape May, N. J., and was sent to serve on the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter out of Portsmouth, N.H. During his two years there, he worked as a fireman, an entry-level machinery technician who works to maintain the various mechanical components aboard a cutter, including the ship’s engines.
“The Coast Guard provides the stability and value I was looking for in my work,” said Gipson. “My daily responsibilities have meaning. I contribute to the Coast Guard’s missions, the most important of which is to save lives. What can be more important than that?” he smiled.
Gipson is known at Sector Columbia River as more than a skilled aviation maintenance technician, but someone who motivates others.
“Rashad Gipson is 100 percent genuine,” said Chief Petty Officer Paul Whittle, head aviation maintenance technician at the air station. “He is open to learn or share knowledge from or with anyone who is willing and he maintains the highest level of integrity. He is always a positive influence on the hangar deck. Coming in to work in the morning, we could be faced with a large stack of work to do. He always is glass-half-full.”
Though Gipson’s work ethic and drive kept him striving to become flight mechanic qualified while working as an aviation maintenance technician, his conduct, character and attitude have been every bit as integral to his success, both in the air and in the hangar.
“Gipson worked for me as an airman in Cape Cod and as an aviation maintenance technician at Air Station Astoria,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Joseph Adams, former lead engineering chief at the air station. “He was, and continues to be, a hard worker with an infectious positive attitude. He is level-headed, well-liked and a positive influence for the entire hangar.”
Nearly 11 months later, Gipson is a fully-qualified flight mechanic, with more experience in real-life rescue situations than many flight mechanics years his senior.
“I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to be involved with three cases this year,” said Gipson. “It’s been a real blessing to get the experience. Training gives you the basics, the fundamentals. Each real-life rescue situation is different; different from training and different from any other real-life situation. All I did was take what I learned in training, try to keep a cool head, and apply what I could.”
Gipson’s efforts behind the hoist helped result in four lives saved in 2013, with cases ranging from sinking vessels to a hiker stranded on a cliff.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/hoisting-expectations/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/hoisting-expectations/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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The Colossus of Cape Disappointment
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, February 7, 2014
Over the next week, Compass will be featuring men and women who operate in the Pacific Northwest. From Lt. Adriana Knies, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter pilot, and Chief Petty Officer Joel Sayers, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, to Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Burns, a boatswain’s mate and surfman, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Rashad Gipson, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crewman and aviation maintenance technician. Each will be highlighted, along with their shipmates, in the upcoming season of The Weather Channel’s new series Coast Guard Cape Disappointment Pacific Northwest.
Written by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Akiyama.
There are many different types of leaders. Some lead by example, while others inspire by their words. One thing they all have in common is that they all draw upon their past experiences to help guide those under them to success.
Lt. Scott McGrew is the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, Wash. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, McGrew enlisted during his senior year of high school to become a boatswain’s mate in the Coast Guard.
“I grew up fishing and boating on Lake Erie and often saw the Coast Guard operating out of Station Marblehead in western Lake Erie,” said McGrew. “When I went to the recruiter’s office, I saw a pamphlet that had a picture of a 44-foot [motor life boat] crashing through the surf. I told the recruiter that day that I wanted to do whatever that guy was doing.”
As a boatswain’s mate, McGrew certified as a heavy weather coxswain on a 47-foot motor lifeboat, while assigned to Station Fairport, Ohio, before attending the National Motor Lifeboat School at Cape Disappointment.
“Coming out to the National Motor Lifeboat School here at Cape D really reinforced my desire to be a surfman,” said McGrew. “I transferred to Cape D as an experienced coxswain and was given a tremendous opportunity to become a surfman. I had some great teachers when I was here.”
McGrew was fortunate to have many mentors guide him in the direction he wanted his career to go. They helped him qualify as a coxswain, taught him what it meant to be a surfman and showed him the many paths he could take in his career. A close shipmate of McGrew’s even helped inspire him in making the switch from enlisted to officer.
“Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Frederick would eventually be my commanding officer at Cape Disappointment,” said McGrew. “Seeing him leave as a machinery technician and head to Officer Candidate School really inspired me to follow in his footsteps. I was perfectly happy living the typical surfman career, but I felt like I could really make a positive impact by going to OCS.”
Even when McGrew made the choice to go to OCS, he hoped to one day return to the unpredictable waters of Cape Disappointment.
“I dreamed of coming back to Cape D,” said McGrew. “As far as the chances of that happening, it really was just that, a dream. It takes so many things coming together. There are so few lieutenant commanding officer jobs that they are very competitive.”
As fate would have it, McGrew eventually did come back to Cape Disappointment as the commanding officer. Whether a person believes in happenstance or destiny, they can’t argue that McGrew was best fit for this commanding job.
“I feel that I can relate to the crew better than if I didn’t have a station background,” said McGrew. “With the exception of the chiefs, I have been in the shoes of everyone at the station. I shined brass, stood communications watch and went through all the same break-in processes they are going through. Most of the mistakes you could make, I made at some point in time.”
Because of his experience and knowledge of being a surfman, McGrew is in the best position to guide those under his command. However, every great leader is supported by a great cast whom they can teach and learn from as well.
“I try to spend a good bit of my time with the chief’s mess, helping them become better chiefs and Coast Guardsmen while also learning from them each day,” said McGrew. “Just because I was prior enlisted does not mean I have the wisdom and experience of the chiefs. I am truly blessed by the chief petty officers assigned to Station Cape Disappointment. I’m not sure there is a better group around.”
Even with the weight of command on his shoulders, McGrew remains a surfman at heart. Being a surfman can be a risky job, but even with the hazards that may come with that job, McGrew chooses to lead by example.
“He is only required to attain crewman status on the boats, however, he recertified as a surfman,” said Chief Petty Officer Thomas Molloy, a boatswain’s mate and executive petty officer at Cape Disappointment. “For him to put his career out as an officer, it inspires the crew. He is a true master of his craft because he serves as an example. He’s out doing cases, running search and rescue and I think people respect him for it.”
Even with all the challenges that may come with becoming a surfman, McGrew reassures aspiring surfmen that it is a job with great rewards.
“Nothing is more exciting than putting an MLB in a surf zone and rescuing someone,” said McGrew. “Pulling people out of the water, or getting a boat across a rough bar is very rewarding.”
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/the-colossus-of-cape-disappointment/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/the-colossus-of-cape-disappointment/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Shipmate of the Week – Charles Baack
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, February 7, 2014
Written by Seaman Phylicia Miller.
One man got Tuesdays with Morrie, but at Station Fire Island the entire crew is fortunate enough to get Wednesdays with Charles Baack. Since 1976 Charles W. Baack has stood faithful to Station Fire Island as a communications watchstander and break-in trainer. What’s more amazing than that, is he is 97 years young and remains as sharp as a whip!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/CGAux.jpeg)
Baack is considered a fountain of knowledge around the station, someone who can be found reading any and everything and can recite pages from Bowditch and Chapman. All crew, from non-rate to officer-in-charge learn something from the simplest of conversations with Baack.
A question like, “How are you doing today Mr. Baack?” is often replied with, “I learned something today. It’s a good day. Every day you learn something is a good day.”
His indoctrination into seafaring activities started back in the 1940s when he enlisted in the Navy as a first class engineer aboard the Landing Ship USS LST-1085 in the Pacific during World War II.
After leaving the Navy, many years would pass until his interest and love of the water prompted him back to join the Coast Guard Auxiliary. A decision that could be most comparable to adding polish to a fine piece of silver, Mr. Baack shines bright in his flotilla.
Living near and boating on the Great South Bay his entire life, it is safe to say no one knows these waters better. As an auxillarist he has acquired knowledge that has enabled him to be a vessel safety examiner as well as a teacher of numerous boater safety classes for youth and adults.
For the last 37 years, Baack has seen many Coast Guard members grow from disoriented non-rates on to great petty officers and chiefs. Specifically, the current executive petty officer at Station Fire Island, Chief Petty Officer Nathan Purinton, remembers Baack being here as he advanced from non-rate to petty officer 2nd class on his first tour with the Coast Guard.
The mere weekly presence of Baack brings a richness of history that crewmembers regard with admiration. When once asked what would be the one piece of advice he’d like to give the younger generation Baack said, “Stick to your moral convictions, everything else around you will change but that.”
At age 97, he lives his life better than most could ask for. The neighborhood children in his quaint cul-de-sac run freely in and out of his house for their one piece of candy a day, a bowl he leaves full in his living room for them. Over the summer you will hear talk of him leaving early to trim his hedges before the sun gets too hot. Baack remains an active member of his church and takes five-hour drives up to Maine to visit his son several times a year.
Many of his fellow auxillarist consider him a hero amongst them; a modest, humble and giving man. His dedication to Station Fire Island over these years holds true to Coast Guard core values and for that we honor him.
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“Stick to your moral convictions, everything else around you will change but that.”
Good words to live by. ::thumbsup::
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Boat Operator Guilty of Killing Coast Guardsman
Associated Press | Feb 06, 2014 | by Linda Deutsch
LOS ANGELES - A Mexican national was convicted Wednesday of killing a Coast Guard crewman by ramming his 30-foot panga boat into the vessel the guardsman was in as it approached Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Southern California.
U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek said Jose Meija Leyva was found guilty of second-degree murder of a federal officer and other charges. A second man on the panga boat, Manuel Beltran Higuera of Mexico, was convicted of lesser charges.
Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III was knocked into the water by the Dec. 2, 2012, collision. He died of blunt force trauma when he was struck in the head by the panga boat's propeller.
Horne, 34, was the first Coast Guard officer slain in the line of duty since 1927.
Jurors in U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess' court deliberated less than a day before convicting Meija Leyva of the murder count, two counts of failure to heave to and four counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly and dangerous weapon.
Beltran Higuera was convicted of one count of failing to heave to as an accessory after the fact and a second count of failing to heave to as an aider and abettor. He also was convicted of four counts of assault on a federal officer.
Meija Leyva faces a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced March 12. Beltran Higuera faces a maximum of 60 years.
"We are pleased with the verdict and that those responsible for Senior Chief Horne's death will be held accountable," said Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., commandant of the Coast Guard. "While the conviction of Senior Chief Horne's killers cannot make up for the loss of a family member, friend and shipmate, we do hope that the conclusion of this case provides some level of comfort and closure to his loved ones."
A four-man Coast Guard crew was conducting a drug-smuggling investigation off the Southern California coast when it approached the panga boat about 180 miles northwest of Mexico. Such vessels are often used to smuggle drugs. Authorities said this one was traveling with its lights out when it was approached about 1:30 a.m.
Horne and the other Coast Guard members were about 20 yards away, the Guard said, when they flashed their boat's lights and ordered Meija Leyva and Beltran Higuera, in both English and Spanish, to surrender. Instead, authorities said, Meija Leyva gunned the boat at them.
Horne and Guardsman Brandon Langdon were tossed overboard. Langdon suffered a knee injury.
The panga boat fled, with authorities in planes and boats chasing it for four hours before its engine died about 20 miles north of Mexico. The pair were taken into custody after being pepper sprayed.
Authorities said Meija Leyva identified himself as the boat's captain and told them he was taking gasoline to lost friends. They said Beltran Higuera told them he was offered $3,000 to deliver gasoline to another boat, but no fuel was found.
The Coast Guard crew approached the panga boat in a 21-foot, rigid-hull inflatable vessel that is routinely used in drug investigations because it's faster and more agile than larger vessels.
Authorities said one of the guardsmen, Jonathan D'Arcy, fired several shots as the panga boat raced toward the smaller vessel, while Guardsman Michael Walker attempted to steer out of the way.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/Colors-halfstaff.gif) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/CGFlag.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/uscoastguardensign.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/cgfamily.jpg)
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/06/boat-operator-guilty-of-killing-coast-guardsman.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl (http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/06/boat-operator-guilty-of-killing-coast-guardsman.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl)
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60 years...life (both of which are always less than!) seems not enough. I'd make use of rope and a boom. And I'd make it a strangle not a snap.
::pullhair::
R.I.P. Chief. ::praying::
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/Colors-halfstaff.gif)
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CG Assists Sinking Fishing Vessel, Saves Crew
U.S. Coast Guard | Feb 11, 2014
HONOLULU — Six mariners are safe after their vessel began sinking approximately 173 miles north of Oahu Monday.
At 11:15 a.m., a Good Samaritan notified watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center that the 66-foot commercial fishing vessel Sea Moon was flooded and dead in the water with crewmembers using buckets to dewater the boat.
The Good Samaritan did not know the position of the vessel, but was able to pass the owner’s information to the Command Center.
The owner provided the vessel's satellite phone number and at 11:27 a.m., Coast Guard watchstanders established communication with the fishing vessel. The crew reported that the engine room was flooded and that the cause of the flooding was unknown.
They reported no injuries and that they had life jackets, life rafts, flares and an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon aboard.
An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew was diverted with dewatering pumps aboard and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched from Air Station Barbers Point. The Coast Guard Cutter Ahi, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Honolulu, was also launched. The Sea Moon's sister ship Sapphire also rerouted.
The Hercules crew arrived on-scene at 12:51 p.m. and dropped a dewatering pump to the fishing vessel.
Sea Moon’s crew retrieved the dewatering pump and brought it aboard. The crew was then able to stop the flooding and restart the engine. They are now enroute to Honolulu Harbor and are expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon.
Coast Guard Hercules crews routinely practice dropping a variety of lifesaving materials to mariners in distress. This is especially pertinent in the Pacific where extreme distances can take ships days to reach mariners in need of assistance. In cases such as this where uncontrolled flooding can force mariners to abandon ship, speed is of the essence. The Coast Guard is scheduled to replace the HC-130H with the HC-130J, which is capable of greater speed and range. Likewise, the 87-foot patrol boats are also scheduled for replacement by the new fast response cutter.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/11/coast-guard-assists-sinking-fishing-vessel-saves-crew.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl (http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/11/coast-guard-assists-sinking-fishing-vessel-saves-crew.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl)
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Mako’s frozen journey home
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Written by Petty Officer 1st Class Nick Ameen and Petty Officer 3rd Class Cynthia Oldham.
When the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Mako left Baltimore en route to their homeport of Cape May, N.J., they knew the transit through the ice-covered C&D Canal would be challenging. However, they didn’t anticipate the normally seven-hour trip would take 30 hours to complete. Along the way, the crew’s bond strengthened when their training kicked in and they relied on each other’s expertise to get home.
“Everyone stepped up, including the most junior members,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Anton Mohammed, a boatswain’s mate and the first lieutenant aboard the Mako. “I’ve never seen such an expert display of communications, training and professionalism come into play for a real-life scenario. It all came together, and we made it home safely.”
The 87-foot coastal patrol boat spent approximately three months in Baltimore at the Coast Guard Yard, from Nov. 11, 2013, to Jan. 24, 2014. Cutters like the Mako undergo dry dock maintenance availabilities every several years to maintain readiness.
When it came time for the Mako crew to depart the Coast Guard Yard, it took a lot of coordination due to icy conditions and an impending offshore snowstorm.
“We had a lot of conference calls and planning meetings to determine our best route home,” said Master Chief Petty Officer William Hollandsworth, the officer-in-charge of the Mako. “We knew we couldn’t delay our departure due to the ripple effect it would have had on so many other cutter crews.”
The complex patrol and maintenance schedules are planned far in advance and are strictly adhered to, so the decision was made to push forward. It was now a choice between either transiting the ice-covered C&D Canal or heading offshore in rough seas with heavy weather rolling in.
The choice was made to transit home through the canal, but not without the help of a couple of Coast Guard ice-breaking tugboats — first, the Baltimore-based cutter Chock, and later, the Philadelphia-based cutter Capstan.
“The Chock and the Capstan crews really came together to get us home,” said Mohammed. “We had to stay about 100 yards behind the icebreaker because the ice was reforming so quickly. We hit some ice that stopped us in our tracks and made us consider turning around, but we already made it halfway so we continued to push forward.”
The crew was under constant pressure as they made their way toward Cape May.
“The stress level was pretty high for everyone,” said Hollandsworth. “It just isn’t a natural sound, ice hitting the hull, especially for the engineers working below deck.”
The crew constantly battled the ice on deck as well. As water sprayed on deck, it froze rapidly, compromising the cutter’s stability.
“Every hour we had to turn the boat away from the wind so crewmembers could chip the ice away without getting sprayed themselves,” said Mohammed. “It was painfully cold working on the slippery deck. The wind hurt but we were mentally able to overcome the pain knowing we were heading home.”
Hollandsworth commended the unity of effort between so many Coast Guard units in completing the mission. He said the efforts by the people of the 5th Coast Guard District, Sector Baltimore, Sector Delaware Bay, the cutter Chock, the cutter Capstan, Station Cape May and especially his own crew proved the importance of teamwork when working toward a goal.
When they finally reached their homeport, the crew enjoyed some much needed rest and family time, knowing they would be underway again soon to carry out crucial Coast Guard missions. This time, they would be doing so with a little more experience in each crewmember’s toolbox.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/makos-frozen-journey-home/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/makos-frozen-journey-home/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Shipmate of the Week – EM1 Matthew Payne
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Friday, February 14, 2014
Written by Coast Guard Pacific Area.
After having gone through an extensive three year, $90 million dollar reactivation, Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is fully operational and currently deployed to McMurdo, Antarctica, for Operation Deep Freeze 2014.
Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Payne, an electrician’s mate, contributed greatly to Polar Star’s reactivation. Payne began his tour while the ship was in dry-dock and extended for a year to be a part of the cutter’s first Deep Freeze mission in seven years.
Leading up to Deep Freeze 2014, Payne led the upper electrician’s mate shop through a rigorous inport schedule. He managed several projects including the installation of an entirely new electrical shore tie and refurbishing the cutter’s robust electrical infrastructure, which expands Polar Star’s electrical shore tie capacity from 900 to 1200 amps. He spearheaded the replacement of turbine room lights, converting 13 light fixtures to LEDs in six hours, ensuring the space was safe to train in time for the ship’s tailored ship’s training availability.
Payne also demonstrated his outstanding shipboard knowledge and poise by expertly standing watch as the assistant engineer of the watch throughout engineering drills. The Afloat Training Group evaluators praised his exceptional composure, astute watch-standing and positive attitude throughout the ship’s tailored ship’s training availability training cycle.
Additionally, Payne’s technical expertise was vital towards the successful completion of Polar Star’s aviation certification as he calibrated and certified the 400HZ & 28V HELO start system and repaired numerous flight deck lights to prepare the ship for its first flight operations in eight years.
While underway for Deep Freeze, Payne has displayed his electrical expertise time and time again. He has taken an active role in training inexperienced watchstanders, sharing his shipboard knowledge. His efforts have lead to the qualification of six assistant engineers of the watch .
After a fire ignited in the switchboard in the ship’s engineering control center, Payne quickly located repair parts and spent 10 hours restoring the switchboard to full functionality. He didn’t miss a beat and immediately thereafter stood his scheduled mid-watch without hesitation.
During a port call in Sydney, Payne disassembled the upper portion of one of the ship’s main motors, and replaced one of two blower motors effecting necessary repairs so Polar Star could continue on its mission.
In his daily work, Payne upgraded the lights on board Polar Star from fluorescent light fixtures to more energy efficient blue LED bulbs taking the initiative to research and procure these lights for berthing area passageways. Working during his liberty time in Honolulu, Payne oversaw the installation of the new lighting fixtures which allow watchstanders and ship’s crew to see better at night with no loss of night vision.
A testament to his work ethic Payne sacrificed additional liberty time while in McMurdo, Antarctica, remaining aboard to repair two main diesel engine lube oil heaters, used to keep the engines warm and ready in Antarctica’s cold, harsh climate.
In his spare time Payne enjoys carpentry, a hobby which he has used to add value the unit. He worked tirelessly at home refurbishing wood rails for the engineering control center consoles, restoring them to pristine condition. Utilizing these talents even more he selflessly volunteered to complete shadowboxes for retiring crew members.
Payne attained his underway engineer of the watch qualification, a watch station normally held by E-7 and above. For these efforts, he was recently recognized as Polar Star’s Sailor of the Quarter.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/shipmate-of-the-week-em1-matthew-payne/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/shipmate-of-the-week-em1-matthew-payne/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Antarctica...Operation Deep Freeze. Good one! ;D
I sure hope they all get hazardous duty pay! ::thumbsup::
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A wish come true
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Monday, February 17, 2014
Written by Petty Officer 2nd Class Walter Shinn.
A boat is sinking with four people aboard in the middle of 30-foot seas that are crashing into each other, spraying salt into the air and creating deep swells giving way to the sense of riding on an unstable roller coaster. Scenarios like this are what Coast Guardsmen prepare for.
Servicemembers who are operational within the Coast Guard are expected to train rigorously for treacherous conditions or dangerous situations during the workday and on watch. For Coast Guardsman Lt. Adam Schmid, this is his career.
Schmid, an operations officer for Maritime Safety and Security Team Boston, has been in the service for nine years. His job responsibilities include oversight and directing operations including missions within maritime law enforcement, anti-terrorism, force protection and waterside security mission.
Schmid is also a husband and father of four. One could say he is prepared for many different scenarios. However, a challenging scenario revealed itself in October 2012 when his family discovered their 7-year-old son Thomas’ biopsy results confirmed he had mitochondrial myopathy, which ultimately led to Mitochondrial disease.
Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90 percent of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the person’s life is severely compromised. The disease primarily affects children, but adult onset is becoming more and more common.
Last fall Schmid submitted an application to the Make-A-Wish foundation.
“So soon after I submitted Thomas’ information to “Make-A-Wish,” a wish team visited our home,” said Schmid. “When Thomas was asked what his wish was, he wished to take his whole family to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. From there, the Wish team took action and set up a trip to Orlando the week before Christmas 2013.”
Ultimately, the Schmid family visited all of the major Orlando theme parks creating memories that will last for generation.
“The trip was an opportunity for Thomas to do whatever he wanted and enjoy all the parks had to offer while his health is relatively good,” said Schmid. “As a family, we were able to forget about the stresses that we have dealt with over the last year and share moments that we will talk about the rest of our lives.”
While the entire family enjoyed the trip to all the theme parks it was especially significant for Thomas.
“The trip was more fun than art class and art class is wicked, wicked fun,” said Thomas.
From beginning to end the Make-A-Wish foundation enabled the Schmid family to step away from Thomas’ physical therapy treatments he goes through four times a week.
“We were blown away by the red carpet “Make-a-Wish” rolled out for us, from a limo ride to the airport to VIP passes to all the major Orlando theme parks.” said Schmid. “The genuine care for Thomas and the rest of the family by those who made this amazing trip possible was overwhelming. We can’t thank Make a Wish, Give children the World and the Orlando theme parks enough.”
The Schmid family continues to pursue treatment for Thomas’ ailment and is partnered with the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation to bring awareness to the disease.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/a-wish-come-true/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/a-wish-come-true/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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::USA::
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Cooperation from across the ocean
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, February 19, 2014
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/Helpfromacrossthesea.jpg)
United Kingdom Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Ministry of Defense Police Force members trained with United States Coast Guard at Trident Training Facility Kings Bay. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark Treen.
Written by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark Treen, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Public Affairs Office.
It was all work, but a little play, when United Kingdom Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Ministry of Defense Police Force members trained with United States Coast Guard at Trident Training Facility Kings Bay.
For one week, four Royal Sailors, 14 Royal Marines and seven police force members trained with the Coast Guard on ballistic missile submarine force protection.
The United Kingdom and United States have a long and strong history of cooperation that goes beyond the formalities of being an ally. This is especially true with the mission of strategic deterrence.
Both countries have ballistic missile submarines and share the Trident system.
Both also have forces responsible for the safe passage of SSBNs from their home port’s protective gate to get to sea and back.
The United Kingdom’s SSBN base is Faslane, Scotland. Comparable bases in the United States are here and in Bangor, Wash.
In America, the role of force protection is shouldered by the Coast Guard Maritime Force Protection Unit, along with the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion.
For the United Kingdom, the duty is a joint job, based on the phases of interaction for force protection. The expectation from the U.K. government is that a civilian entity would interact with civilians during the normal escort of SSBN from its base. The Ministry of Defense Police have had that role since 1968.
Like the United States Coast Guard, the MDP officers have the ability to make arrests as law enforcement officials.
The Royal Marines’ 43rd Commando and Royal Navy members have been added since 2007 to provide further layers of protection. They are highly trained specialists, able to respond in kind to whatever scenario develops.
The American training was welcome by the U.K. members of this group. The Transit Protection System trainer in TTF Kings Bay is unique.
For the U.S., it allows full-scale, real-time simulation of MFPU Force Protection scenarios. For the U.K., TTF currently is the only place where all three entities can conduct simulation training together.
“It’s been the most valuable training I’ve seen in my time at 43 Commando,” Royal Marine Capt. Craig Burkin said.
Both parties said the training was extremely useful.
“My vision is to develop an enduring relationship with the United States Coast Guard,” MDP Superintendent Dennis Jackson said. “We would like to duplicate what happened here this week.”
That aside, as Burkin put it, “The lads have loved it. It’s amazing. You can get anything here, especially food portions. We love this culture.”
The highlight of the trip seemed to be the mid-week dinner in Woodbine.
That, plus the dodge ball game on Friday. The game was a chance to build unity between the various groups, while bringing out the camaraderie of competition. Players even switched teams. It was all taken in good humor, with the players from the U.K. wearing red shirts, while the U.S. military wore blue.
It’s hard to say who won, because at the end of the game there were too many smiles and handshakes. It was just as if there was only one team.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lowfreeboard/media/Coast%20Guard/Helpfromacrossthesea.jpg.html (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lowfreeboard/media/Coast%20Guard/Helpfromacrossthesea.jpg.html)
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"You can get anything here, especially food portions."
Heh.
Reminds me of when in El Centro on detachment there were some Brit paratroopers rotating through there to do some practice jumps...they had changed all their pounds into dollars and kept buying all the rounds at the enlisted club and I didn't have to buy squat and I was pickled the whole week through. They thought our chow was Nirvana. Fun lads to hang with, they dearly loved their Maggie, and boy, I thought I could drink!
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Nerves of keel
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Thursday, February 20, 2014
A version of this story first appeared at Coast Guard Heartland and was written by Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Colclough.
For Coast Guardsmen engaged in an active search for people in distress, who may be on the verge of panic, fright or worse, they have to be cool and calm, regardless of the state of seas, the boat or their own mind. Response crews must be ready and capable to take the helm of a Coast Guard boat and pilot it home, even the newest members. In a word, they must be qualified, or as members say, “qual’d,” before they are full-fledged crewmembers.
Known as the check ride, part exam and practical exercise crucible, each crewmember undergoes a series of drills simulating casualties and incidents that can and do occur in the maritime environment.
At Coast Guard Station New Orleans, Seaman Lyndsey Singer completed a check ride aboard the station’s new 45-foot Response Boat – Medium, which features joystick controls on the armrests instead of a traditional steering wheel.
Just step into the 45-footer’s pilothouse and you step into the future. With water jet propulsion, shock-mitigating seats and live-feed monitors of the engine space, you get the feeling you need flight school. This boat almost has joysticks for joysticks. A combination of joystick and tillers control thrust vectoring for maneuvering.
“I was very nervous. I’m still nervous, always nervous to drive the boat, but … it’s a part of the job. The size and the way it handles and getting used to everything, especially when you get aboard, it’s so overwhelming,” said Singer. “I am more at ease now driving the boat after the check ride.”
In addition to driving the boat along a charted course, Singer tracked the location of “Oscar,” a red inflatable device simulating a person in the water fallen overboard, while maintaining clear communication with the crew, including the demonstration of steering the boat inside the aft steering space. In a span of just under two hours or the time it takes to watch a movie, Singer passed the board; a technical error while tending line during a tow evolution and minor difficulty heaving line to another boatcrew did not prevent earning the 45-footer qualification.
“The most nerve-wracking part is the apprehension, anxiety going into it – knowing you are going to have a board. Not because I have done it a million times, but, anything can go wrong,” said Singer.
Upon entrance into the communications center on the second floor at Station New Orleans, the motto Facta Non Verba, which is Latin for “Actions speak louder than words,” is painted at the top of the wall as a reminder to all who enter. It is not enough to say you can drive the boat. No matter what happens, you have to be ready to drive, lead and care for your crew and survivors. With as strong a determination and a light touch as the aluminum in the deep-V hull of the 45, Singer forged nerves of keel.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/nerves-of-keel/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/02/nerves-of-keel/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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Received in an email.
February 18, 2014 7:23 AM
Subject: **HTML** Actor. Musician. Comedian. Coast Guardsman. , Sid Caesar.
CPOA/CGEA Region Two, Chiefs and Warrants…
FYI… RIP COASTIE Sid Caesar…thanks to BMCS Jack Crowley for sharing…
Very Respectfully,
ITCM Michael A. Bumgardner
Base Boston CMC
617-223-5361 (office)
617-519-7607 (cell)
Subject: Actor. Musician. Comedian. Coast Guardsman. , Sid Caesar.
Born in Yonkers, N.Y., Caesar studied saxophone at the Julliard School of Music. He played in a number of prominent Big Bands, including those led by Charlie Spivak and Claude Thornhill.
Caesar joined the Coast Guard in 1939 after saxophone at Julliard and was assigned to play in military revues and shows, such as Tars and Spars. Early on, he showed a natural penchant for comedy by entertaining other band members with his improvised routines. His comedic character prompted the show’s producer Max Liebman to move him from the orchestra and cast him as a stand-up comedian to entertain troops.
This jump-started his famed career and after he was released from service by the Coast Guard in 1945 he went on to perform his “war routine” in both the stage and movie versions of the revue. He continued under Liebman’s guidance after the war in theatrical performances in the Catskills and Florida, but he never forgot the service that launched his career.
“Sid Caesar went on to great fame after his service as a Coast Guardsman, but he remained a dedicated shipmate over the years,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp. “Whether entertaining Coast Guardsmen or generously recording Coast Guard recruiting public service announcements, he remained dedicated to the service and he will be truly missed.”
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/respect/Colors-halfstaff.gif)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/respect/Hands.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/respect/img_0028sm_s2_.jpg)
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Yup, I mentioned in the Departed thread Sid was a Coastie! ::USA::
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Yup, I mentioned in the Departed thread Sid was a Coastie! ::USA::
I know, but I just saw this and thought I'd post it.
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Yup, I mentioned in the Departed thread Sid was a Coastie! ::USA::
I know, but I just saw this and thought I'd post it.
Aye, in the CG thread, where he belongs.
::USA::
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Yup, I mentioned in the Departed thread Sid was a Coastie! ::USA::
I know, but I just saw this and thought I'd post it.
Aye, in the CG thread, where he belongs.
::USA::
Not necessarily. The other thread is appropriate, since he was a famous person. Rather than add this there, I put it here; this contained a little more information.
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Sunday, March 2, 2014
COAST GUARD HELO MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, EAST SHORE OF WASHINGTON ISLAND
Washington Island, Wisconsin -
U. S. Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 6578 landed safely on the snow along the eastern shore of Washington Island this morning, in what was termed a "precautionary emergency landing" by aircraft commander LT. Chris Breuer.
The MH-65C "Dolphin" helicopter with four crew aboard had taken off from the U. S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City around 7:50 a.m. EST. As their aircraft flew over Lake Michigan and approached within approximately ten miles of Wisconsin's shoreline, intending to fly over Washington Island enroute to a search and rescue assignment (SAR) near Ashland, Wisconsin, a "flight control issue" arose. A decision was then made to land along the flat, broad portion of beach just south of Hog Island and the Percy Johnson County Park, an area separated from the trees along shore and the open lake waters by ice banks and snow covered rocks.
According to LT. Breuer, flying further inland wasn't a prudent risk. It would have been a flight path over trees for another several miles, extending their air time in an effort to reach open fields, or perhaps the Island Airport. While he couldn't speculate on the nature of the mechanical issues encountered, other than to verify that it was not a fuel related problem, such landings, while not routine, are occasionally made, always with safety of both crew and aircraft foremost in mind.
With landing wheels now deep in snow and the aircraft unable to be flown, the most likely resolution to repairing the helo will be to lift it by crane to a flatbed truck, and transport it back to their air station, rather than perform on-the-spot repairs. Engineering tech support at the Traverse City airbase will determine just when and how the helo extrication might be accomplished. When this is sorted out, likely by early afternoon today (Sunday), Breuer's crew will be airlifted back to their base. A "salvage" detail will then likely take over to ready the plane for lifting and transport, first by ferry, and then via highway back to a facility where it can be properly repaired.
Air crew secured rotors in preparation for their anticipated departure later today.
The helo crew includes: Aircraft Commander LT Chris Breuer; Co-pilot Jim Okorn; Flight Mechanic Matt Lussier; and Rescue Swimmer Tom McArthur. The crew had responded to a call around 5 a.m., an "uncorrelated Mayday" reported from the Ashland area, which, according to Breuer, could be almost anything, including an ice fisherman or snowmobiler needing assistance. It was unlikely, he said, due to the heavy ice conditions in that area, that this call would have come from a vessel in distress.
According to Breuer, his aircraft had been used earlier last evening by a nighttime crew, before his crew responded to the Ashland call. They were in the air some 50 minutes, he said, before putting down in front of the Jim and Janet Wilson home around 7:45 a.m. CST.
"Did you head for the widest stretch of flat beach, or the nearest home with smoke curling from the chimney?" I joked, noting the warm, comfortable surroundings of the Wilson home. Safe landing was foremost on their minds, I was assured, with the nearby hospitality of the Wilsons an added bonus.
By the time I arrived to interview the crew, around 9:45 a. m., the Wilsons had just departed for Sunday morning worship service, leaving their lakeshore home in the hands of the air crew, plus the Island's two policemen, Gary Schulz and Tyler McGrane. The morning was fresh, with bright sunshine, temperatures slightly below zero, with very little wind. Circumstances could certainly have been more extenuating, the crew noted, than along this shoreline, a location where a century or more ago crews of sail schooners sometimes found themselves wrecked.
While LT Breuer was occupied with phone and email traffic, coordinating plans going forward, he also kindly answered my questions. Crew members' families had been provided notice of their status, each man noted. After a quick couple of photos taken in front of the fireplace, scenes that might depict their situation as just a bit too comfortable, considering the circumstances behind the forced landing, the crew donned their boots and winter gear and waded through the snow to secure the helo in preparation for their anticipated departure for home base.
The Coast Guard regularly assigns helicopter crews to assess ice conditions for commercial shipping, operations called "ice reconnaissance." This is one reason why, periodically through the winter, Islanders can see or hear helicopters flying overhead. Great Lakes shipping has been slowed greatly by this winter's ice conditions, but vessels that still operate - or that will begin their 2014 season soon - rely on both satellite reports and the Coast Guard's eyes to assess navigation conditions. And, there are also the several Coast Guard ice breakers and the administrative commands at the various Coast Guard Sectors of Operation that use such ice updates to advantage.
Islanders, ferry operators and commercial fishermen, or any citizen with extraordinary medical need, may also find comfort in the fact that four such helicopters are assigned to the Traverse City Air Station. These aircraft generally have much quicker response time than a vessel, weather permitting, should there be a need for flight rescue assistance.
- Dick Purinton
Richard Purinton at 11:12 AM
http://ferrycabinnews.blogspot.com/2014/03/coast-guard-helo-makes-precautionary.html?m=1 (http://ferrycabinnews.blogspot.com/2014/03/coast-guard-helo-makes-precautionary.html?m=1)
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Be a force of nature
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Monday, March 3, 2014
(http://s25.postimg.org/yh8furdkv/CH_Helo_in_Storm.jpg)
Air Station Elizabeth City performs a rescue during a winter storm. Photo courtesy of Greg South.
Being prepared to act quickly could be a matter of survival. This is especially evident during the threat of severe weather. The deadliest and most destructive tornado of 2013, an EF-5 that occurred on May 20 in Moore, Ok., caused more than $2 billion in property damage. Even though severe weather was anticipated days in advance, many in the impacted areas said they did not have a plan or were caught unprepared.
This week is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week and is a perfect time to reflect on how ready you and your loved ones are for the unexpected.
Severe weather could happen at any time, anywhere. In November 2013 alone, at least 70 tornadoes spanned seven Midwestern states. Even though tornado are forecasted days in advance, and warning lead times for the tornado outbreak averaged nearly 20 minutes, there were still many people in the impacted areas that stated they were unprepared.
“It is important that we focus on the preparedness and the safety of our families and our communities,” said Rear Adm. Kevin Cook, commander of the 8th Coast Guard District. “Now is the time to ensure that we have family emergency and communication plans that can be used in the event of severe weather.”
Knowing your risk, taking action and being an example by sharing your knowledge and actions with your social network are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and save your life and others.NSWPW-poster-2014
Know Your Risk: Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms – every state in the United States experiences severe weather. Visit weather.gov to get the latest on weather threats.
Take Action: Take the next step in severe weather preparedness by creating a family communications plan, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and learning about Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Be an Example: Once you have taken action to prepare for severe weather, share your story with family and friends on Facebook or Twitter. Your preparedness story will inspire others to do the same.
This year, we urge our readers to take the time to learn how to prepare for severe weather throughout National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Use the resources above or share what you’ve learned in past disasters in the comments below!
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/03/be-a-force-of-nature/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/03/be-a-force-of-nature/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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A return to homeport
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Monday, March 10, 2014
Written by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sabrina Laberdesque.
Children grow up aspiring to become astronauts, police officers and doctors. For some, the decision is hard to make. For others, the choice is easy – the decision to serve their country and be a part of a mission designed to safeguard its communities. Coast Guardsmen were all children at one time and have made the decision and commitment to serve.
The Coast Guard is comprised of citizens willing to raise their right hand and commit to serving their country’s water.
‘Where I belonged’
For Petty Officer 2nd Class Hali Lombardi, being born and raised in Key West, Fla., is what helped her make the decision to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard.
“I grew up on the water down here,” said Lombardi. “I knew that I wanted a career that involved boats, so when I found out about the Coast Guard I knew it’s where I belonged.”
Joining the Coast Guard at the age of 19, Lombardi knew that the boatswain’s mate rate was the career path she was going to join immediately.
“I was drawn to the search-and-rescue aspect of the Coast Guard,” said Lombardi. “I wanted to save lives while being on the water, and I knew going BM would be the best route for me.”
After attending the Coast Guard Boatswain’s Mate “A” School in Yorktown, Va., Lombardi received orders to Coast Guard Station Brunswick, Ga.
“I was far away from my family and friends, but I was on the water. That’s what kept me going.” Lombardi said. “I was doing search-and-rescue, so no matter how much I was homesick, the job kept me focused on the mission.”
After being stationed in Brunswick, Lombardi received orders to 7th Coast Guard District in Miami where she maintained records and charts for the aids to navigation, section of the waterways management division.
“I was at a desk, and though my job was important for the Coast Guard’s role in ATON, I knew I belonged on the water,” Lombardi said. “I enjoyed the people I worked with, but I missed the operational atmosphere you experience at a smallboat station or on a Coast Guard cutter.
After four years in Miami, Lombardi got her first pick on her orders to commission the Coast Guard’s newest cutter, the Charles Sexton, homeported in Key West.
Plank owner
“I was in shock when I received my orders to the Charles Sexton,” said Lombardi. “It was my number one pick on my list, and I am getting the privilege to become a plank owner of a Coast Guard cutter.”
Lombardi reported to Lockport, La., to meet up with the new crew and get the cutter ready for their new homeport in Key West. Upon arrival, Lombardi met Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Bowe, an honorary Conch, a title given by the mayor of Monroe County, if determined to be a clear-thinking kindred soul, eminently worthy of the honor of being a citizen of the Florida Keys.
“We hit it off right away,” said Bowe. “We started reminiscing about the Keys, and we both were excited to go back to our roots and patrol in familiar waters.”
Both Bowe and Lombardi’s job entails them to be in the pilothouse when mooring and unmooring the cutter in homeport.
“Both Petty Officers are a huge asset to the crew because of their local knowledge of the area,” said Lt.j.g. Graham Sherman, Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton’s executive officer. “The water depths change drastically down here, and they both bring a lot to the table when it comes to navigating safely.”
The Coast Guard commissioned Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton in Key West this past weekend.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet that I am going to be one of the original plank owners of this cutter,” said Lombardi. “I get to stand before my family and friends in my hometown and take ownership of the Charles Sexton.”
Extraordinary heroism
The vessel is named after Coast Guard Petty Officer Charles W. Sexton who was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal for extraordinary heroism.
Sexton was on duty at Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment in Washington state on Jan. 11, 1991, as the fishing vessel Sea King, a 75-foot trawler, was taking on water four miles northwest of the Columbia River bar, Bollinger officials said. Four fishermen were aboard, the decks were requesting assistance and the engine room was filling up with water. Sexton unselfishly volunteered to go aboard the fishing vessel to treat the injuries of a Sea King crewmember who had fallen to the deck boat during a failed helicopter hoist. He skillfully diagnosed the victim’s injuries, informed the flight surgeon of the extent of the injuries and provided first aid treatment.
Once the victim was stabilized, Sexton turned his attention to assisting with the dewatering of the vessel. After more than six hours of the exhausting routine or dewatering the vessel, the Sea King suddenly, without warning, rolled over, throwing victims into the dangerous seas and trapping Sexton in the enclosed pilothouse. He went down with the vessel, sacrificing his life while attempting to save the lives of the Sea King’s crewmembers.
Because of his heroic efforts, the cutter Sexton’s motto is “Sacrifice through Service.”
“We have been working around the clock to ensure that we are ready to perform the Coast Guard’s mission once commissioned,” said Bowe. “The entire crew is dedicated to honoring Charles Sexton and we do that with our dedication to duty and through the sacrifices we make to ensure the mission is complete.”
Coast Guardsmen are more than maritime specialists; they are citizens as well. Citizens from hometowns who are proud to return and be a part of a legacy. A legacy that will continue aboard Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton.
“I am proud to be here in Key West and to be a part of the Coast Guard legacy through the commissioning of the Charles Sexton here in my hometown waters,” said Lombardi. “It’s an honor that I will carry with me the rest of my Coast Guard career.”
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/03/a-return-to-homeport/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.bMDckvR8.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/03/a-return-to-homeport/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.bMDckvR8.dpuf)
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Harriet Colfax & the women of the Lighthouse Service
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Written by Scott Price.
(http://s25.postimg.org/n8icus3un/Colfax_Harriet_600_001.jpg)
This month’s commemoration of women’s history highlights the achievements of women in the Coast Guard and celebrates their qualities of character, courage and commitment. The Coast Guard is unique among others in that women joined the professional ranks in the Lighthouse Service decades before the Civil War. They were typically hired when their husbands or fathers, who were the keepers, fell ill or passed away. But there were a few who obtained an appointment in their own right—usually by the old tried-and-true method of pulling political strings. That’s how Harriet Colfax, a woman referred to by the Chicago Tribune as “Uncle Sam’s Oldest and Most Reliable Lighthouse Keeper,” got her job as the keeper of the Michigan City Light—a position she held for 43 years.
According to various sources Colfax owed her appointment to her cousin, Congressman Schuyler Colfax. Harriet Colfax had been working in Michigan City as a school teacher and as a compositor at her brother’s Whig newspaper, The Transcript, but after he sold his newspaper she decided she was ready for a change. With her cousin’s guidance she applied for the light-keeper’s position at the Michigan City Lighthouse and was appointed as the keeper on March 9, 1861. The lighthouse structure that she moved into had been built in 1858 and contained a fifth-order Fresnel lens that was visible for more than 15 miles in the attached tower.
Michigan City’s harbor was protected by two “piers” that stretched into the lake. In 1871 an additional light was added at the end of the east pier, 1,500 feet from shore. Crews constructed an elevated walkway so Colfax could light that lamp, in addition to the main beacon, every evening. Her logbooks described her harrowing attempts to venture out over the water, carrying a bucket of heated lard oil (to keep it in liquid form—used until 1882 when kerosene became the primary fuel) during storms. She passed over the walkway during howling storms where waves crashed over the pier and crosswalk and many times the walkway was swept away. When the beacon light was moved to the west pier, she had to venture forth by boat to get to that lamp. But that beacon was swept away during a stormy night in 1886. Eventually she got an assistant to help her but his employment was infrequent so for the most part she was on her own.
Her logbook entries give some indication as to just how dangerous her job was–even with help. A terrific storm came ashore at Michigan City on the night of Oct. 13, 1872, and Colfax noted in her log: “Gale perfectly fearful by nightfall. Waves dashed over the top of the beacon. Reached the beacon at imminent risk tonight as the waves ran over the elevated walk. Watched both lights with closest attention all night.” The next year, on May 28, 1873, Colfax wrote: “A terrible hurricane to-night at about the time of lighting up. Narrowly escaped being swept into the lake.” On Oct. 28, 1873, another storm came ashore: “Terrific westerly gale. The waves dashing high over both piers, & over my head when on my way down to the light beacon.” Her strength of character is evident in her writings, and she seems to have kept a good sense of humor as well. On Halloween night in 1873 she wrote: “Main light and beacon both bewitched tonight, requiring my constant attention.”
A reporter for the Chicago Tribune interviewed her in 1904. She expressed to him why she did it, every night, year after year, even when past 80 years of age: “I have a helper to carry up the lamps, but always trim and light them myself. In forty-three years none but me has done it. I love the lamps, the old lighthouse, and the work. They are the habit, the home, everything dear I have known for so long. I could not bear to see anyone else light my lamp. I would rather die here than live elsewhere.” And she finished her interview by noting “My lights never went out till I quenched them myself.” Night after night, through 43 years of dedicated service, that was the case. Regardless of the weather or even if she fell ill, her lights were always shining to guide mariners safely to the harbor.
That kind of devotion to duty, despite her age, the weather and the time of night, demonstrates her character. For decades she carried out her responsibilities faithfully, knowing full well that lives lay in the balance. That’s why she walked the elevated walkway night after night to the far light on the pier, even during fierce storms that threw wind and whipped water across her path. Her courage in carrying out her duties is unquestionable, even today.
How about compassion? Elizabeth Williams, Keeper of the Beaver Island Harbor Point Light, wrote about the importance of what all of the lighthouse keepers did every night. In her book, A Child of the Sea, she wrote “At first I felt almost afraid to assume so great a responsibility, knowing it all required watchful care and strength, and many sleepless nights. I now felt a deeper interest in our sailors’ lives than ever before, and I longed to do something for humanity’s sake. . .” There’s the answer: the keepers who kept the nation’s lighthouses lit did so, night after night, “for humanity’s sake.”
Colfax retired in 1904 and by that time she’d been there so long that mariners referred to the lighthouse as “Little Miss Colfax’s light.” She passed away the following year but her legacy remains. She was in good company – more than 400 women served as keepers or assistants keepers with the U.S. Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard. Many of these women had careers that spanned decades. Thanks to the important research of Mary and Candace Clifford, whose book Women Who Kept the Lights, and Virginia Neal Thompson, among others, we’ve learned quite a bit about them. Each of these dedicated women embodies this month’s themes of character, courage and compassion—qualities that served them well as they tended the nation’s lighthouses, helped to keep seafarers on course and safely guided them from port to port.
If you’d care to learn more, the Historian’s Office has more information posted. They’ve also uploaded Coast Guard veteran Virginia Neal Thompson’s thesis as she examined critically the women keepers who served prior to the Civil War and raised questions regarding why they were hired, how they were viewed by their contemporaries and “lighting the way” to further research. Additionally, Colfax’s lighthouse is now the Old Lighthouse Museum, run by the Michigan City Historical Association. For more information—or if you’d like to visit, check out their website. Jan, a volunteer at the museum, stated: “we are very proud of Harriet Colfax; we try our best to keep her memory alive and her beloved lighthouse in such a condition that would make Harriet very proud of us.” We’re sure she would be as well!
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/03/harriet-colfax-the-women-of-the-lighthouse-service/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.SJIdhZ5U.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/03/harriet-colfax-the-women-of-the-lighthouse-service/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.SJIdhZ5U.dpuf)
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I like a good lighthouse...must be the good view of big body of water and nobody else around to bother you except maybe a few select folks you like dropping by.
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The keepers back then really had a tough life. The ones on the reef lights had it bad enough, but the ones on islands also ran rescue boats and their crews most of the time.
Men and women of steel, ships of wood...... ::clapping::
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/curtislight.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/40527.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Coast%20Guard/pemqlight.jpg)
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Looks purdy! ::thumbsup::
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Yo, Coastie?!
Somebody got to open the Great Lakes!
(http://d3.static.dvidshub.net/media/thumbs/photos/1404/1224004/450x283_q75.jpg)
http://im41.com/archives/49227 (http://im41.com/archives/49227)
Get on that, will ya?
;D
::USA::
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CG not here anymore I don't imagine - I talked to a friend in Michigan last Friday and he informed me that Lake Superior still has ice six foot thick, so it be some time in melting unless they really get a heat wave. Lower Great Lakes I don't know about.
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Yeah, it's been biblical this season...climate change not of the warm variety...polar bears could walk to Duluth fer cryin' out loud!