Yep, Just that "razor" BM wit.

Jack

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard really never suffered from an identity crisis until the shift over to the "Bender Blue" uniform in the mid-1970s.

I have a hypothesis that it all has to do with that necktie that was forced on Coastie Sailors between 1974-75. Something to do with severely restricting the flow of blood to the brain.

Mark, I certainly agree..... I wear some sort of CG t-shirt to work almost daily at the VA clinic... I am often referred to as a Coastie or a Hooligan.... both of which I am proud to be called. (I have never been referred to as a breakfast cereal).... I enjoy talking to these old leathernecks, grunts and squids.... which they often refer to themselves as.... They also tell me stories of the Coasties back during WWII

I don't know if the ties are too tight or the ODU's cutting off the blood in their legs, but I certainly hope they get their issues resolved.

Wray..

Bender Blues........I see CG around town and if I don't get the CG on their shirt I think they're navy.......

Even with the flat hat nothing looked as good as a bunch of Coasties on the town in tropical whites or dress blues. Some folks said they couldn't tell the difference between us and the Navy. That wasn't important as long as we knew the difference.

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Some folks said they couldn't tell the difference between us and the Navy.

We had a pretty good solution to that problem Pat. We simply informed the public that those wearing the uniform WITHOUT the Shield on the sleave had not passed their medical tests for VD.

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I also wonder if ADM Allen has a nick name as well.... "Thad W. Allen" -- I wonder what it is.. or should be... perhaps since he made one up for the Coasties of the world, turn about is fair play.

I have heard him refered to as the "THADMIRAL" before. Always got a kick out of that. Sort of remided me of the YOST GUARD nickname.

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The wife told me to point out it's CoastieChicks.net, unless we have a competing GuardianChicks.com site in the works.

Touche', however in my defense my wife only ever starts out saying "I read on CoastieChicks today...". She nevers says the .net part.

For the longest time I would get the .org wrong for fredsplace too.

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We had a pretty good solution to that problem Pat. We simply informed the public that those wearing the uniform WITHOUT the Shield on the sleave had not passed their medical tests for VD.

Some of us were also known to state that the shield indicated we served on the Presidential Yacht.

I am proud to be a United States Coast Guardsman.
I revere that long line of expert seamen who by their devotion to duty and sacrifice of self have made it possible for me to be a member of a service honored and respected, in peace and in war, throughout the world.
I never, by work or deed, will bring reproach upon the fair name of my service, nor permit others to do so unchallenged.
I will cheerfully and willingly obey all lawful orders.
I will always be on time to relieve, and shall endeavor to do more, rather than less, than my share.
I will always be at my station, alert and attending to my duties.
I shall, so far as I am able, bring to my seniors solutions, not problems.
I shall live joyously, but always with due regard for the rights and privileges of others.
I shall endeavor to be a model citizen in the community in which I live.
I shall sell life dearly to an enemy of my country, but give it freely to
rescue those in peril.
With God's help, I shall endeavor to be one of His noblest Works -
A UNITED STATES COASTGUARDSMAN.
Written in 1938 by VADM Harry G. Hamlet, USCG, Commandant 1932-1936.


ADM ALLEN et al - please read this; don't change any thing.

Why fix it, if it ain't broke?

I prefer Coastie. As mentioned, Guardian sounds more like it came from a study group.

It appears that this will be a generational thing.

I proudly became a COASTIE, when I graduated from Cape May, 43 years ago, this week, (August 13th)

I have proudly been called a variety on nicknames, some funny, some not, and depending on the tone and tenor of the speaker, I have responded.

I am a Coastie, by choice. I will die a Coastie. Coastie = One of God's Nobelest Work.

Jack

I'm retired as well and the term "coastie" has never been fine with me. To me the term was always derogatory and implied that less than full effort is/was being expended, IE. to coast or give less than 100%.

When describing the typical day to day actions of Coast Guard personnel, nothing could be further from the truth. I hated it the first time I saw it in print in the mid 70's and I hate it now. Unlike what seems to be the case with some of the posts here, I never heard or saw it used to describe another coastguardsman at anytime in the 60's or early 70's. In fact, I never heard my father (BM2, USCG) refer to himself or any of his shipmates as coasties in any of the sea stories her shared with our family.

Prior to the mid 70's any article that appeared in the Navy Times, Commandant's Bulletin or local papers always referred to CG personnel as Coastguardsman. I.E., Local area coastguardsmen did this or did that, never local area coasties... What I'm saying is that I don't believe this is an old historical term that's been used since back in the day. I may be wrong but I believe the term was created in the mid 70's by the CG's public information people as they struggled with a way to refer to the acts and deeds of Coastguardsman, some of whom were for the first time in a long time in our history now being accomplished and performed by women. Times were changing, the term coastguardsman wouldn't get it any longer, it wasn't PC and somebody decided needed to come up with a new, shorter term to refer to Coastguardsman and history would be changed forever, well maybe not forever. Isn't it interesting that in the Air Force, airman are still airman regardless of gender.

I digress. Anyway, that's just my take. I certainly could be wrong - have been before, will be again. So, does that mean that the term "guardian" is better or more appropriate. Don't know, can't say because it's also a term that's been around only a short time, I.E., the "guardians of the sea" phrase that started showing up on bumper stickers and other things shortly before I retired in '94.

At any rate, my comments above notwithstanding, with the effort being expended day to day by the thousands of Coast Guard men and women all around the world, anything is better than "coastie." Regards,

hmm interestinbg my pop who was navy in 48 refered to coastguardsman as coasties.

my favorite one is MUD DUCK.

later

cliff

Well since our pay center is changing its name for, I believe the 4th or 5th time since I enlisted in 1980, why don't we change our nickname?

I think changing the nickname will be a lot cheaper than all those official name changes by far...

Hmmm. lets see, be thought of as a cereal or home security system? No a problem, how about just plain old "Coast Guardsman", oops.. PC.. "Coast Guard-person".. Jeez. slow day at the puzzle palace?

Webster's dictionary and VADM Hamlet both use the terms "coastguardsman" and that has suited me fine for many years in my own prose. This to me, at least, is the real target of what the term "coastguardian" seeks to replace. "Coastguardsman" is a fine American word and when I say it, I have a deep prideful sense of what it means.

The term "Coastie" is colloquial and little different than "jarhead" or "ground-pounder." Informal speech, an essential neccessary part of every language, will ensure that the term "Coastie" sticks around a little longer.

But even more than that, it means "we" are part of the common vernacular. "We" should be proud that someone would use slang to call us "Coasties" which is only indicative that we would rate highly enough in the public mind to receive our own nickname.

To illustrate this point: when the grave of ben Yehuda, the founder of modern Hebrew, had his grave desescrated by vandals, his daughter asked in what language was the graffiti? Hebrew was the answer. The daughter "took it as an admission of defeat by [modern Hebrew] critics." Ben Yehuda's dream had finally come true with that spraypaint.

Bottomline: coastguardsmen should consider it a compliment to be called a "Coastie." It essentially means the public recognizes and appreciates all we do.

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What I'm saying is that I don't believe this is an old historical term that's been used since back in the day. I may be wrong but I believe the term was created in the mid 70's by the CG's public information people

My uncle spent 42 years in the CG, starting in the 1920's. While I was in grade school in the 50's he asked me is I was going to be a "Coastie" when I grew up. My brother enlisted in 1951 and also used the term. I heard it frequently when I enlisted in 1960. So, the term was around long before the 70's.

I never considered it derogatory, only as a shortening of the word "Coastguardsman".

I am a coastguardsman, I guard the Coast, though not always the American Coast. The public calls us "coasties" and while it doesn't sound tough, it's how we're known to them, if we're even mentioned at all. Think of all the times you see "military" patches, posters, etc with "soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines", but no Coast Guardsmen. I refer to my people as "troops" or "sailors" when talking with other military people members.

Guardian does sound a bit forced. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Guardians? Sounds like something out of the Lord of the Rings. I'm a level 12 Guardian, watch out!

Coasties is fine. The public says stuff like this. "We were in trouble, but thank God that a bunch of Coasties showed up." or "See those bad a$$ boats? I wouldn't F&*k with those Coasties".