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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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A portrait of Silver Star Medal recipient Seaman First Class Rollin Fritch, one of the heroic Coast Guardsmen to die on board the Callaway during the kamikaze attack on January 8, 1945. (Courtesy of the Fritch family) Callaway in camouflage paint scheme during World War II. (U.S. Navy)

Jan. 26, 2024

Rollin Fritch — Silver Star hero of Attack Transport Callaway

“Rollin Fritch’s devotion to duty reminds us how to conduct ourselves aboard this ship. He manned his gun until the very end.” — Lt. Jason McCarthey, Cutter Rollin Fritch’s first commanding officer

Official headshot of Charles William Sexton in dress blues. (U.S. Coast Guard) A 44-foot motor lifeboat powering through heavy breakers common to the West Coast. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Jan. 19, 2024

Coast Guard hero, FRC namesake Charles Sexton

"It has long been understood that the Coast Guard faces danger every day, but that could not be more true than a day on the Columbia River Bar" - Chief Quartermaster Bill Segelken

Coast Guard cutter Reliance conducting helicopter operations circa 1964. (U.S. Coast Guard photo). Coast Guard cutter Diligence shown with the prototype “racing stripe” painted on the bow in December 1966. (Coast Guard Historian’s Archive). The extensive accommodation for helicopter operations is shown by this photo of third-in-class 210 cutter Vigilant. (U.S. Coast Guard photo) A Coast Guard HH-52A launched from Diligence hovers over the Gemini III space capsule in 1965. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo)

Jan. 12, 2024

Built to Last - The early days of the 210-foot cutter fleet

The two leading ships of the 210-foot Reliance-class cutters, Coast Guard cutters Reliance and Diligence, will turn 60 years old in June and August of this year, respectively.

Two men pose together at parade rest in front of a U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Team building.

Jan. 5, 2024

The World War II Beach Patrol in Jacksonville Beach

Coast Guard Headquarters authorized the institution of beach patrols in all areas adjacent to the coast. The patrol members came to be known colloquially as “sand pounders.” By August of 1942, the first patrols with dogs were instituted.

A colorful commemorative painting of the expedition by artist Dean Ellis. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Dec. 29, 2023

The Long Blue Line: First U.S. transit of the Northwest Passage — 1957

All three cutters went down in history as the first American vessels to transit through the icy seas of the Northwest Passage and circumnavigate the North American continent.

Two graphic images superimposed with one another. At the bottom it reads "The Long Blue Line." The image on the left is a house with bells and trees and says "Seasons Greetings." On the right, is a Large posiedon like charachter and it says "A salty, hearty, merry christmas. From the Onondaga."

Dec. 22, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Merry Christmas from the Galley! — the Coast Guard’s collection of vintage Christmas Menus

The Coast Guard Historian’s Office recently unearthed several shipboard Christmas menus in its Archives and Special Collections. They are few, but rather colorful and provide insight into a bright spot in an otherwise monotonous lifestyle at sea.

Women have continued to play a major role in the United States Coast Guard, making incredible contributions to help shape the service and work towards a more inclusive workforce.

Dec. 15, 2023

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of women serving in the Coast Guard!

Women have continued to play a major role in the United States Coast Guard, making incredible contributions to help shape the service and work towards a more inclusive workforce.

Photograph of Coast Guard pilot, LT John C. Vukic, also known as “Big John.” A Coast Guard PBM-5G jet assisted take-off using JATO rockets. This image shows a sister aircraft to #84738, which flew the Swatow mission. (Coast Guard Aviation Association) An aerial photograph of the USS Halsey Powell (DD-686) underway during the 1950s.

Dec. 15, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Rescue and sacrifice — PBM-G5 #84738’s Korean War rescue 70 years ago

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the events that transpired in the Formosa Straits – we remember the courageous Coast Guard and Navy men who perished.

Coast Guard watchstanders using Rescue 21 to work a case. (U.S. Coast Guard) Hull of the Morning Dew after the accident during recovery operations. (National Transportation Safety Board)

Dec. 8, 2023

The Long Blue Line: The loss of Morning Dew and genesis of Rescue 21

By harnessing state-of-the-market technology, Rescue 21 enables the Coast Guard to execute its search and rescue missions with greater agility and efficiency.

Janet Irwin and Scott Irwin receive 1st Lieutenant Frost’s Purple Heart Medal from Captain Michael Kahle of Sector St. Petersburg, which hosted the ceremony. Note the Tampa mural on the wall in the background. (U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office)

Nov. 23, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Happy Thanksgiving! — The Tampa Trunk artifacts and legacy of the lost World War I cutter

Tampa’s brief, but illustrious, story is one of selfless service, valor, and ultimately human tragedy amidst the destruction of war. It was the nation’s single largest naval combat loss of World War I. Because of the Tampa Purple Heart Project, we now know more about its crew.

Image Gallery

1 - 12 of 17 results
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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