Rear Admiral Frederick A. Zeusler, United States Coast guard, was born 20 May, 1890 at Baltimore, Maryland, the son of the late Ernest Carl Zeusler and Anna Schaefer Zeusler. He received his early education in the Baltimore public schools, graduating from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1908. Appointed a cadet in the U.S. Coast Guard on 12 October, 1908, he received a commission as an ensign on 11 January, 1911.
His first assignment to duty was on the Cutter Onondaga, where he served until April, 1913. During the following four years he served on board the Coast Guard Cutters Unalga, Manning, Snohomish, Bear, and McCulloch on Bering Sea and Arctic Cruises. During World War I he was navigator and later, executive officer of the USS Chatanooga, for which he was awarded the Victory Medal with Escort Clasp.
In June, 1919 he returned to the Cutter Snohomish as commanding officer and was relieved of that command two years later to serve for a short period of time on the Modoc. He was detached in April 1921 to serve as Communications Officer at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and during this tour of duty represented the Treasury Department at the Pan-American Communications Conference in Mexico City.
In early 1924, he was detailed as oceanographer (after training at Harvard) and assistant to the commanding officer of the International Ice Patrol in the North Atlantic. He was later assigned as executive officer of the Modoc and made the ice patrol in 1925.
From Fall of 1925 to September, 1927 he served in command of the Coast Guard destroyers Monaghan and Cassin. In September, 1927 he was designated as the Executive Officer at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn., where he remained for four years. While in this capacity he was an instructor in Seamanship, Ballistics, and International Law.
In October, 1934 he was designated Chief of Staff of the Seattle Division and while acting in this capacity was a special lecturer and later instructor in oceanography at the University of Washington.
He was transferred to Coast Guard Headquarters in October, 1935 where he acted as Chief Communications Officer until April, 1937 when he was placed in command of the Coast Guard cutter Northland.
After serving a year as commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Spencer he was assigned as Commander of the Juneau District, Alaska and in March, 1942 was designated as Captain of the Port for the Territory of Alaska.
He was transferred to the 13th Naval District, Seattle in April, 1944 and served in that capacity until 1 July, 1946 when he retired after 38 years in the Coast Guard.
After receiving a commission as an ensign on 18 January, 1911, he was promoted in rank as follows: lieutenant (jg) 16 June, 1915; lieutenant, 12 January, 1923; lieutenant commander, 21 April, 1924; commander, 8 October, 1929; captain, 1 December, 1941; rear admiral, 1 June, 1945.
In addition to World War I and II campaign medals, Admiral Zeusler holds the Bronze Star Medal for his World War II service as commander of naval forces in the Sitka, Alaska area, and the Legion of Merit for service as District Coast Guard Officer of the 17th (Alaska) and 13th (Seattle) Naval Districts during the war. The latter citation emphasizes Admiral Zeusler’s performance of such duties as seeing to the safety of merchant vessels in port and in convoy along the northwestern coast of the United States and Alaska.
Admiral Zeusler married Clarice Louise P. on April 15, 1916 at Ellensburg, Washington. They have two daughters, Mrs. Leslie Olsen and Mrs. David Shaw.