Happy 219th Birthday to the Coast Guard!

What's everyone doing to celebrate? My office is playing some golf and taking the families to a minor league baseball game in the evening. Should be a great time.

I think I'll have too many drinks and remember shipmates no longer with us.

I'll think back to when we thought of ourselves as a military service that also performed LE work part time.

I'll remember tight crews, nasty weather at sea and when the CG was primarily a sea going service.

I'll remember holidays on Ocean Stations when everyone would have preferred being at home.

I'll remember those I served with on two ships in Vietnam and wonder where they are and what they are doing now that they are old farts....and what their memories are...

Here's a captain and coke salute to all who have served and are currently serving in our United States Coast Guard.

It's hard to believe that 29 years ago, August 4, 1980, I entered the gates to Cape May for basic training.

Enjoy your Coast Guard Day, mates.

my husband Floyd Stormer CW3 I salute the CG
Happy Day with the Coast Guard. I live across the bridge in San Pedro. The CG base is on Terminal Island

I'll be thinking of everyone that helped me make the Coast Guard a career. Without their help I couldn't have done 20 plus years.

I'll be thinking of all the men and women in today's Coast Guard. Thank you for your service.

Got duty tonight and tomorrow, so I'll be working The Adm sent out a long intersting e-mail about our roots thats you all should read, sums up where we have gone during all these years. Good stuff

Happy 219th, Charlie Golf, and BZ to all who serve(d) her and the nation. And happy 48th to the CinC today, as well.



v/r - jb

I Found A Old Ball Cap This Morning At The Flea Market
USCGC BRIDLE WYTL 65607
Happy CG DAY

quote:

Originally posted by NJS7x7:
Got duty tonight and tomorrow, so I'll be working The Adm sent out a long intersting e-mail about our roots thats you all should read, sums up where we have gone during all these years. Good stuff

Is the email posted anywhere? I'd like to read it. Or, if you can, forward it to me at guzziphile@centurytel.net Thanks.

To be honest, it didn't dawn on me until I received Garret's email this a.m. But then again, my own birthday can slip by me. Some friends think it's only because I fear getting older. Not true. My 21st bd, we were sitting at the club at Support Center Portsmouth b's'ing...I didn't think about it until after a couple beers.

Happy Birthday to all current and former members of the greatest Armed Force.

Here it is in message form:

ALCOAST 450/09
COMDTNOTE 1000
SUBJ: COMMANDANTS COAST GUARD DAY MESSAGE - 2009 1. COAST GUARD DAY
PROVIDES A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE PARALLELS
BETWEEN HISTORICAL EVENTS AND OUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES.
THE CONCEPT OF A "COAST GUARD" IS A UNIQUE PRODUCT OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION - A BLEND OF PREVIOUS NAVAL AND CUSTOMS FUNCTIONS THAT
HAD NEVER BEEN ASSIGNED TO A SINGLE ENTITY. TWO-HUNDRED AND
NINETEEN YEARS AGO, ALEXANDER HAMILTON CREATED A MODEST SERVICE TO
COLLECT REVENUE TO SUSTAIN OUR FLEDGING NATION. ENVISIONING THE
NEED FOR A MORE ROBUST FEDERAL MARITIME PRESENCE, HE DIRECTED THE
FIRST REVENUE CUTTER CAPTAINS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA,
PRESERVE OUR MARITIME SOVEREIGNTY, AND FACILITATE MARITIME COMMERCE
WHILE TREATING THEIR COUNTRYMEN WITH RESPECT. HE ALSO FORESAW THE
NEED FOR RISK MANAGEMENT AND FLEXIBILITY TO MEET EMERGING DEMANDS.
2. A BRILLIANT VISIONARY, HAMILTON KNEW CHANGE WAS COMING. TODAY,
THE NATIONS OF THIS WORLD ARE COMING TO UNDERSTAND THE RELEVANCE,
VALUE, AND INDISPENSABILITY OF A MARITIME PRESENCE CAPABLE OF
EXERTING AND INSURING NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY. WHILE LARGER NATIONS
HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO PROJECT NAVAL SEA POWER, MOST NATIONS ARE (OR
SHOULD BE) CONCERNED WITH THE DEPLETION OF LIVING MARINE RESOURCES,
THE SAFE AND SECURE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES,
ILLEGAL MIGRATION, DRUG AND OTHER CONTRABAND TRAFFICKING, AND THE
USE OF THE GLOBAL COMMONS FOR PIRACY OR TO FURTHER EXTREMIST
IDEOLOGIES THROUGH SEA-BASED TERRORIST AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. WE
EXIST TODAY BECAUSE THIS WAS UNDERSTOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME TWO
CENTURIES AGO BY THE FIRST GUARDIAN.
3. OUR PATH TO THE PRESENT HAS AT TIMES BEEN DIFFICULT. THROUGHOUT
OUR HISTORY, THE COAST GUARD HAS UNDERGONE SIGNIFICANT
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES DRIVEN BY VITAL NATIONAL INTERESTS THAT HAVE
ALTERED AND EXPANDED OUR MISSIONS. EACH CHANGE BROUGHT ANXIETY,
UNCERTAINTY, AND A LEVEL OF APPREHENSION. CHANGE IS NEVER EASY.
AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH OUR CURRENT CHALLENGES, WE SHOULD REMEMBER
THAT EVEN BEFORE THEY WERE OFFICIALLY PROMULGATED, OUR ENDURING
VALUES HONOR, RESPECT, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY - HELD THE SERVICE
TOGETHER THROUGH PREVIOUS MODERNIZATION AND RECAPITALIZATION
EFFORTS, AS WELL AS SHIFTS IN OUR SAFETY, SECURITY AND STEWARDSHIP
MISSIONS. WE ARE WISE TO LEARN FROM OUR PROUD HISTORY AS WE BUILD
A POWERFUL FUTURE.
4. MODERNIZATION IS NOT A NEW IDEA. WHEN ELLSWORTH BERTHOLF BECAME
CAPTAIN-COMMANDANT OF THE REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE IN 1911, HE FACED
A PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION WHICH RECOMMENDED SPLINTERING THE SERVICE
BECAUSE IT WAS TOO MULTI-FUNCTIONAL. BERTHOLF SUCCESSFULLY
COUNTERED THAT A MULTI-MISSION AGENCY WOULD ACHIEVE GREATER
EFFICIENCIES AND THEN WENT A STEP FURTHER TO EMBRACE THE SECRETARY
OF TREASURYS RECOMMENDATION TO MERGE WITH THE LIFE-SAVING SERVICE.
COMBINING THE MILITARY CUTTERMEN WITH THE CIVILIAN LIFESAVERS WAS A
DAUNTING TASK RIFE WITH SKEPTICISM. TWO VASTLY DIFFERENT CULTURES
HAD TO UNITE FOR A COMMON PURPOSE. OUR PREDECESSORS MADE IT WORK,
AND IN 1915 THE MODERN COAST GUARD WAS BORN.
5. OUR CURRENT CHALLENGE TO RECAPITALIZE IS NOT NEW EITHER.
CAPTAIN ALEXANDER FRASER, THE FIRST MILITARY COMMANDANT OF THE
REVENUE MARINE IN THE 1840S, PUSHED THE FLEET TO TRANSITION FROM
WOOD HULLED SAILING VESSELS TO IRON STEAMERS. FRASERS INITIATIVE
PUT THE REVENUE MARINE AT THE FOREFRONT OF FEDERAL EFFORTS TO
DEVELOP STEAM PROPULSION AND EVENTUALLY LED TO A RECAPITALIZED AND
MORE-EFFICIENT SERVICE. LIKEWISE, OUR FIRST SURFMEN USED OARS TO
MUSCLE THEIR WAY THROUGH STORMS RIGHT UP TO THE 20TH CENTURY. IT
WASN'T UNTIL 1899 WHEN REVENUE MARINE LIEUTENANT C. H. MCCLELLAN
DESIGNED THE FIRST MOTOR LIFEBOAT. A TRUE SKUNK-WORKS PROJECT - IT
WAS A 2-CYLINDER, 12 HORSEPOWER ENGINE WITH TWIN REVERSIBLE
PROPELLERS BUT IT WORKED, AND THE LESSONS LEARNED CONTRIBUTED TO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FAMOUS 36-FOOT MOTOR LIFEBOAT. ACQUISITION,
CONSTRUCTION, AND INTEGRATION OF CAPITAL ASSETS ARE DIFFICULT
TASKS, BUT WITH EACH INNOVATION WE INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT,
DEFEND, AND SAVE.
6. PROTECTING THE MARITIME PUBLIC IS AT THE HEART OF OUR SAFETY
MISSION. AFTER MULTIPLE STEAMSHIP DISASTERS, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT CREATED THE U.S. STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE IN 1838,
FORMALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEED FOR A FEDERAL MARINE SAFETY ROLE.
HIGHLIGHTING JUST HOW COMPLEX AND VITAL THIS MISSION AREA WAS TO
OUR ECONOMY AND WAR-EFFORTS, PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SIGNED EXECUTIVE
ORDER 9083 IN 1942. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, ALL OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS MARINE SAFETY FUNCTIONS WERE CONSOLIDATED UNDER
ONE, MULTI-MISSION ORGANIZATION, THE U.S. COAST GUARD. CONCEIVED
IN PEACE BUT CONSECRATED DURING WAR, OUR MARINE SAFETY MISSION
REFLECTED THE NATIONS CONSTANT NEED TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
7. THE COAST GUARD TRACES ITS NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE ROOTS
BACK TO 1790. DURING THE QUASI-WAR WITH FRANCE, THE REVENUE MARINE
CUTTERS WERE THE ONLY WAR SHIPS ABLE TO DEFEND OUR MARITIME
SOVEREIGNTY PRIOR TO THE REESTABLISHMENT OF THE NAVY. THIS ROLE
REEMERGED IN WORLD WAR I FOLLOWING THE HORRIFIC EXPLOSION AT BLACK
TOM ISLAND, A MUNITIONS DEPOT IN NEW YORK HARBOR. GERMAN SABOTEURS
WERE SUSPECTED BECAUSE BLACK TOM ISLAND WAS A VITAL TRANSFER
STATION FOR ALLIED WEAPONS DESTINED FOR THE BATTLEFIELDS OF FRANCE.
THROUGH THE ESPIONAGE ACT OF 1917, CONGRESS EMPOWERED THE COAST
GUARD TO PREVENT SABOTAGE ON MERCHANT SHIPPING AND CARGO,
EVENTUALLY LEADING TO THE CREATION OF OUR CAPTAIN OF THE PORT
AUTHORITY. EACH FORGED DURING CONFLICT, OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY
MISSIONS HAVE REMAINED INTERTWINED STRONGER AND MORE EFFECTIVE IN
CONCERT THAN THEY ARE ALONE.
8. AS GUARDIANS, WE ARE STEWARDS OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT. AFTER
ALASKA WAS ACQUIRED IN 1867, THE REVENUE CUTTER LINCOLN WAS
DISPATCHED TO POLICE THIS NEW FRONTIER. PRIVATE ENTERPRISES
QUICKLY DISCOVERED ALASKA'S TREASURE TROVE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND
IT WAS ONLY THE REVENUE MARINE THAT PROTECTED THE VAST SALMON
STOCKS, SEAL POPULATION, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FROM EXPLOITATION.
FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL IN 1990, CONGRESS
PASSED THE OIL PROTECTION ACT (OPA 90) ISSUING ONE OF THE BIGGEST
LEGISLATIVE MANDATES IN COAST GUARD HISTORY. WHILE BROAD IN SCOPE
AND IMPACT, OPA 90 REAFFIRMED AND STRENGTHENED THE COAST GUARDS
EXISTING STEWARDSHIP MISSION THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE SINCE THE
LINCOLN PLIED PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND.
9. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR CURRENT CHALLENGES HAVE STRONG HISTORICAL
ROOTS. ON THIS COAST GUARD DAY, WE STAND AT ANOTHER INFLECTION
POINT IN OUR PROUD SERVICE HISTORY. OUR PREDECESSORS MADE COURSE
CORRECTIONS AMIDST TUMULTUOUS CIRCUMSTANCES BUT THEY NEVER LOST
TOUCH WITH ALEXANDER HAMILTONS CHARGE AND THEIR VALUES. EACH TIME,
WE MAINTAINED A TRUE HEADING AND EMERGED STRONGER AND BETTER
POSITIONED TO MEET NEW DEMANDS. AS HAMILTON ENVISIONED, A GUARDIAN
ETHOS REMAINS FIXED IN OUR ORGANIZATIONAL DNA, PROVIDING THE
STRENGTH, SUPPORT AND STRUCTURE TO GUIDE OUR EFFORTS. OUR PROUD
HISTORY STABILIZES THE SERVICE SO WE CAN BUILD A POWERFUL FUTURE AS
AMERICAS MARITIME GUARDIAN.
10. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS DEDICATION TO THE COAST GUARD AND
THE NATION. WE ARE WRITING OUR HISTORY EACH DAY AND EACH OF YOU HAS
A HAND ON THE PEN.
11. ADMIRAL T. W. ALLEN, COMMANDANT, SENDS.
12. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

Thanks, Jerry. A great read. Much said that many, I think, it today's CG maybe didn't know or had forgotten.

Damn little said about the CG as a military service performing in time of war though......

I was planning on attending the picnic at Ponce inlet.. Just found out the new OIC is making this a "dry" one.. No beer... a few of the retired guys I usually go to see that live in the immediate area are going to pass this year due to the new policy.

I was quite shocked by it... after attending CG Day's for 38 or so years, I can't remember one that there was not a beer available. Even at major training commands such as RTC Yorktown.

Pretty bummed about this one.

Maybe I can talk them (my retired friends) into meeting somewhere else for our own little get together...

Wray

quote:

Just found out the new OIC is making this a "dry" one.. No beer...

Just as I suspected! The Coast Guard has been infiltrated by rat Commie *******s!

No beer on CG day? What the heck is THAT all about!

I called the CG base on Terminal Island they have changed their phone number. I can't contact them. HAPPY ANNIVERSAY COAST GUARD

quote:

Originally posted by Wray:
I was planning on attending the picnic at Ponce inlet.. Just found out the new OIC is making this a "dry" one.. No beer... a few of the retired guys I usually go to see that live in the immediate area are going to pass this year due to the new policy.

I was quite shocked by it... after attending CG Day's for 38 or so years, I can't remember one that there was not a beer available. Even at major training commands such as RTC Yorktown.

Pretty bummed about this one.

Maybe I can talk them (my retired friends) into meeting somewhere else for our own little get together...

Wray

You would be surprised how few units will allow it these days. I know that this is not your Old Guard anymore...just one of those things that you (and we) need to get used to.

Today I had volleyball and a cookout at my unit, and I keep ALL my CG functions "dry" functions. If people want to partake in a drink, they can do it after they leave the Station. No one seems to have a problem with this policy either.

It's not an Old Guard/New Guard situation. Society has changed a lot over the years. For a unit to condone drinking, how ever moderate, is to contribute to DUIs and all the ramifications.

I would not complain about a "dry" get-together.

quote:

Just found out the new OIC is making this a "dry" one.. No beer... a few of the retired guys I usually go to see that live in the immediate area are going to pass this year due to the new policy.

don't need it to be "wet" to still have a good time.

quote:

don't need it to be "wet" to still have a good time.

I agree, and of course it is the OIC's call.. Just that a few of the other retiree's I had hoped to see won't be there.

I am well aware of all the possible problems, however I do not think there has ever been any at that station in recent years, and I have been to every CG Day picnic since I retired in 1999.

As I mentioned, even many training commands have beer on CG Day.. (at least they did last I heard) I don't think anyone wants to get $h!+faced, just nice to sit down and have a beer & burger and BS with old friends.. You know, sort of like the Pres did recently at the White House It's also funny that the "Sector" had (sold) beer at their party today...

Oh well, as I said it's not only the fact that they wont have the beer .. it's more that some I had hoped to see won't be there...

Wray...

Never been to one. However, now that I am leaving the CG, perhaps I might consider in a few years as a way to see some old good friends. But while being in the CG, last thing I wanted to do is go to a "party"/"Celebration" and be forced to talk shop. No sir, I don't think so.