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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Posed photograph early in the war of Joseph Gerczak in his dress blues uniform. (Courtesy of the Gerczak family) Photo showing LST-66’s bow doors open to debark troops to the beach. (Navsource.org)

April 19, 2024

Joe Gerczak’s service and sacrifice from Philly to New Guinea

LST-66 ended the war as the most-decorated LST serving in the Coast Guard.

Color engraving of the Battle of Lake Erie by Murray Draper and Company, circa 1813. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

April 12, 2024

Dobbins and Knapp — Frontier mariners, naval officers, and Revenue Cutter masters

The revolving-door saga of Dobbins versus Knapp ... a pendulum of political spoils.

A photograph of the U.S. Life Saving Service crew posing with its surfboat in front of U.S. Life-Saving Station at St. Joseph, Michigan, from the Digital Collections of the Detroit Public Library.

March 29, 2024

Joseph Napier — Heroic Surfman, Gold Lifesaving Medal recipient and FRC namesake

For his heroism, Napier received the first Gold Lifesaving Medal issued by the U.S. Life-Saving Service, forerunner of the modern Coast Guard.

An official portrait photograph of BM1 Bernie Webber in his dress blues. (U.S. Coast Guard) A painting by Richard Kaiser of CG-36500 in heavy seas nearing the broken stern half of the Pendleton (depicted in the background). (U.S. Coast Guard)

March 22, 2024

Bernard “Bernie” Webber and the greatest smallboat rescue in Coast Guard history

Divine intervention, dead reckoning and plain luck have all been trumpeted as ways Bernie’s crew found the Pendleton that night.

Edith Munro in her dress blue uniform strolling the grounds at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. (U.S. Coast Guard)

March 15, 2024

Edith Munro — leader, mentor, SPAR and Medal of Honor hero mother

Edith Munro took the oath to join the SPARS two hours after accepting the Medal of Honor for her son Douglas Munro.

An official portrait photograph of Dorothy C. Stratton seated in her office at Coast Guard Headquarters shortly before her retirement in 1946. (U.S. Coast Guard) A World War II photo of Stratton meets with members of the Coast Guard’s Women’s Reserve of SPARs. (U.S. Coast Guard)

March 8, 2024

Dorothy Stratton — Wartime Coast Guard trailblazer and SPAR Leader

Capt. Stratton had the unique distinction of serving her country through three of the women’s branches of U.S. Armed Forces and became the director of the newly formed Coast Guard Women's Reserve, SPARS.

A formal seated photograph showing a vigorous Isaac Mayo later in life. (U.S. Coast Guard) Image of the Massachusetts Humane Society. Modeled after the British Royal Humane Society, the Massachusetts Humane Society’s work ultimately served as a model for the U.S. Life-Saving Service and eventually the U.S. Coast Guard.

March 1, 2024

Isaac Mayo — Surfman, Gold Life-Saving Medal recipient and FRC namesake

On Nov. 10, 1879, Congress awarded Mayo the Gold Life Saving Medal for his bravery and successful actions leading the crew of volunteer surfmen in the rescue of the four survivors off the wreck of the Sarah J. Fort.

A March 1959 color photo of LTJG Bobby Wilks posing in front of an HU-16E “Albatross” fixed-wing amphibian aircraft. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Feb. 23, 2024

Bobby Wilks — distinguished aviator, mentor, and minority trailblazer

“I was in awe of him, as not only he was the first senior ranking African American officer at that time, but also an aviator. He shared with me the challenges, which he was quick to call them opportunities, that he took full advantage of that mapped out his successful Coast Guard career.” - MCPOCG Vincent W. Patton (Ret.)

A rare vintage painting of the all-African American crew of the Pea Island Life-Saving Service Station, circa 1896. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Feb. 16, 2024

Lewis Wescott—the lost grave of a heroic Pea Island lifesaver

A discovery uncovers the whereabouts of a Pea Island Keeper, one whose last resting place was lost for more than 70 years.

Color image of a Coast Guard HH-52 “Seaguard” helicopter similar to the ones crewed by CWO Melvin Williams during his distinguished Coast Guard aviation career. (U.S. Coast Guard) Retired Chief Warrant Officer Melvin W. Williams, Jr., seated in his office pointing to pictures from his career in Coast Guard aviation. (Courtesy of Jennifer Kirsop, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

Feb. 9, 2024

Melvin Williams Jr. — An African American Coast Guardsman’s aviation story

Melvin Williams Jr. was the first African American to make chief as an Aviation Survivalman and then as a Chief Warrant Officer.

Image Gallery

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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