THE LONG BLUE LINE

The "Heritage Class" of Offshore Patrol Cutters will meet the evolving challenges of today, while recalling the original vision of the Coast Guard founder, and founding father Alexander Hamilton.

Jul 21 2021

The Long Blue Line: America’s “First Fleet”

The "Heritage Class" of Offshore Patrol Cutters will meet the evolving challenges of today, while recalling the original vision of the Coast Guard founder, and founding father Alexander Hamilton.
Read More

Coast Guard SPARS marching in formation as part of Honolulu’s V-J (Victory over Japan) Day Parade. (Photo: Courtesy of family) At least six women from Oklahoma’s tribal nations served in the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserves (“SPARS”) during World War II, bringing honor to their Nation and their Tribes.

Oct 29 2021

The Long Blue Line: “Sooner Squadron”

Coast Guard SPARS marching in formation as part of Honolulu’s V-J (Victory over Japan) Day Parade. (Photo: Courtesy of family) At least six women from Oklahoma’s tribal nations served in the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserves (“SPARS”) during World...
Read More

The Original Joker, Cesar Romer, was a star in Hollywood, but just a regular guy in the Coast Guard.

Sep 24 2021

The Long Blue Line: The Original Joker, Cesar...

The Original Joker, Cesar Romer, was a star in Hollywood, but just a regular guy in the Coast Guard.
Read More

The GITMO Lighthouse: Standing the watch for 120 years, and still Semper Paratus! (Photo) Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kristin Antonides of Port Security Unit 309 paints the quarters building in her spare time.

Oct 05 2021

The Long Blue Line: GITMO Lighthouse

The GITMO Lighthouse: Standing the watch for 120 years, and still Semper Paratus! (Photo) Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kristin Antonides of Port Security Unit 309 paints the quarters building in her spare time.
Read More

Through recent digitization efforts at the National Archives by NOAA, muster rolls documenting service of African American sailors, including US Revenue Cutterman, are available online for all with internet access.

Jun 14 2021

TLBL: Glimpses through a mustered...

Through recent digitization efforts at the National Archives by NOAA, muster rolls documenting service of African American sailors, including US Revenue Cutterman, are available online for all with internet access.
Read More

Prohibition was a hard unremitting war with few rewards. But the Coast Guard lead by RADM Fredrick Billard (Commandant 1924 -32 and pictured left) leveraged new technology to meet the challenge.

Nov 19 2021

The Long Blue Line: Prohibition Tech

Prohibition was a hard unremitting war with few rewards. But the Coast Guard lead by RADM Frederick Billard (Commandant 1924 -32 and pictured left) leveraged new technology to meet the challenge.
Read More

Official photograph of Harry Hamlet during his term as commandant. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Jan. 1, 2021

The Long Blue Line: Hamlet—Revenue Cutterman, Hero, Coast Guard Commandant, author of “The Creed”

Coast Guardsman’s Creed was one of Harry Hamlet’s many contributions to a Coast Guard he loved and served.

Dec. 31, 2020

The Long Blue Line: USS Wakefield—the Coast Guard’s “B & L Ferry” 75 years ago

In World War II, the USS Wakefield (AP-21) served as a fast troop transport whose role was to deliver military personnel and supplies to the war front.

Dec. 24, 2020

The Long Blue Line: Yuba City—A Christmas rescue that changed aviation history 65 years ago!

Read about a Christmas Eve miracle.

Dec. 18, 2020

The Long Blue Line: “American Healer”—A Coast Guard Corpsman in Vietnam 50 years ago

Here is a first-hand account of Coast Guard operations in Vietnam.

Dec. 11, 2020

The Long Blue Line: “Big Mac” attack--Icebreaker Mackinaw battles Lake Ice 75 years ago!

Normally, lake ice begins thawing at the end of April, but “Big Mac”--as the icebreaker is affectionately called in the Lakes region--has opened shipping lanes as early as the third week in March, thus facilitating the early movement of millions of tons of iron ore, grain, and other vital cargo. U.S. Coast Guard Public AffairsFor generations,

Dec. 4, 2020

The Long Blue Line: Cutter Daphne and the “North Atlantic Vegetable War”

Read about one of the last incidents of Prohibition...and vegetables.

Nov. 27, 2020

The Long Blue Line: Class of 1980—40 years of women at the Academy

Recognizing 40 years of women at the Coast Guard Academy

Nov. 11, 2020

The Long Blue Line: “Into the Jaws of Death”—SM2 John Roberts and LCI-93 at Omaha Beach

“We were sitting ducks and the Germans clearly had us in their sights,” Steward’s Mate 2nd Class John Noble Roberts, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

Nov. 11, 2020

The Long Blue Line: “Into the Jaws of Death”—SM2 John Roberts and LCI-93 at Omaha Beach

“We were sitting ducks and the Germans clearly had us in their sights,” Steward’s Mate 2nd Class John Noble Roberts, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

Nov. 3, 2020

The Long Blue Line: Operation “Relevant Ursa”--Bear training in West Africa

During its most recent patrol, the Coast Guard Cutter Bear diverted from an Eastern Pacific counter-narcotics patrol to support Operation “Relevant Ursa (Latin for bear)” in West Africa. Under the tactical control (TACON) of Coast Guard Atlantic Area (LANTAREA), Bear quickly prepared for its 95-day deployment to support to the Coast Guard’s African

Image Gallery

Thumbnails List

Unknown

CGD 24 Wainwright Unknown port; photo taken from quarterdeck of unnamed USCG cutter. Boston? Photo...

At Sea

USCG patrol boats during Prohibition

Headquarters USCG Destroyer Force

"Coast Guard Destroyer Downes (From a Painting by the Destroyer Force Bugle Staff Artist, Marius...

Headquarters

"Ensign Roland making end run, Coast Guard-Marine game, Washington, D.C., 1929." Scanned from...

Headquarters

"1929 - Coast Guard Football Team - 1929. Back Row: -Lieut. Baker, Coast and Manager; Wineke,...

At Sea

A photo of Coast Guard Destroyer CONYNGHAM on patrol during Prohibition.

Unknown

Coast Guard Destroyer's baseball team (no date).

Aboard USCGD Beale

Hand-written caption on reverse of photo reads: "Officers and crew of CGC Beale (Navy destroyer...

Aboard CGC Snohomish

Hand-written caption on reverse of photo reads: "R R Waesche Sr., CGC Snohomish, Port Angeles, or...

USCGD Beal

"BEALE (CG-9) (Of the old U.S. Coast Guard Destroyer Force - 1924-1930) An early 20th century...

At Sea

"Engineroom Force of the Coast Guard Cutter PONTCHARTRAIN. 3-5-29 (1)." CCG Scrapbook (CG...

Unknown

Copy photo found in the CG Historian's Office Special Collections Archive in the "Uniforms" folder....

U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office
2703 Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20593-7031

U.S. Coast Guard Museum
Coast Guard Academy - Waesche Hall
15 Mohegan Ave
New London, CT 06320-8100

Contacting us: U.S.C.G. Historian's Office