Coast Guard WWII hero laid to rest
Retired Coast Guard Cmdr. Ray Evans, 92, was laid to rest June 5, with full military honors. Evans, who passed away May 30, was the final survivor of a dramatic rescue of a group of Marines pinned down by machine gun fire during the battle of Guadalcanal, September 1942 where he earned the Navy Cross.
Into the jaws of death: U.S. Coast Guard-manned landing craft at Normandy
Among the many historical items kept by the Coast Guard Historian’s Office is a copy of one of the most reproduced photographs to come out of June 6, 1944 – D-Day. The photograph was captured by Coast Guard Chief Photographer’s Mate Robert F. Sargent, and entitled “Into the jaws of death.” Sargent, a veteran of the invasions of Sicily and Salerno, took the photo from his landing craft at sector “Easy Red” of Omaha Beach around 7:40 a.m. local time.
Welcome to the fleet Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell
She was a leader. She was a trailblazer. She was a lifesaver. She’s the namesake of the Coast Guard’s newest cutter – Margaret “Madge” Norvell. The Coast Guard welcomed their newest fast response cutter to the fleet this weekend as Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell was commissioned in New Orleans. The cutter is the first in its class to be named after a Coast Guard heroine.
Making waves on the ice
With the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs heating up we bring you the story of the World War II-era Coast Guard Cutters, described by hockey historian Stan Fischler as “a team of brawling and boisterous sailors who knew how to win.”
The sinking of U-175
This month marks the 70th anniversary of a decisive victory for the predecessor of Coast Guard Cutter Spencer. In the uncertain days of World War II, the Coast Guard-manned USS Spencer steamed alongside convoy ships maintaining long lines of food, men and war machines destined for the front lines of Europe. These ships faced a new, elusive enemy: U-boats. These submarines harassed the Allies’ supply lines, attacking at night and vanishing just as quickly. The crew of Spencer lived under constant threat of attack.
Adm. Papp participates in unveiling of proposed National Coast Guard Museum
Last week, Admiral Papp attended an announcement by the City of New London, Conn., and the National Coast Guard Museum Association to formally unveil the design and location for the proposed National Coast Guard Museum.
Our fame, our glory too
It’s no secret the remote but vibrant Aleutian city of Unalaska is home to many treasures of Coast Guard lore, yet one of the most prominent would seem unlikely: A piano. This piano is so important the crew from Coast Guard Cutter Munro gathered in their service dress blues at the house of City Councilwomen Zoya Johnson just to see it. Johnson generously opened her home so guests could gather around the piano keys and give a showing of the Coast Guard’s hymn, “Semper Paratus.” The musical selection was not only fitting for the company; it was on Johnson’s piano, in the Summer of 1926, that “Semper Paratus” was first composed!
Sentinel of the light
The origin of Women’s History Month as a national celebration began nearly 120 years before the first Hispanic-American woman served in the Coast Guard and its predecessor services. Maria Mestre de los Dolores Andreu assumed the watch as the lighthouse keeper at the St. Augustine Lighthouse after her husband, Juan, passed away in 1859. With a yearly salary of $400 she not only became the first Hispanic-American woman to serve in the Coast Guard but also to command a federal shore installation.
Always Ready: The Gaudian Family
The Coast Guard is in his blood. Caleb Gaudian is a few weeks away from shipping to Coast Guard Basic Training. He won’t have much time in boot camp to ruminate on what brought him here, but his family history is rich with Coast Guard adventure.
Heroic connections
As one of the service’s newest cutters, Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge has many striking features, but the one feature that stands out the most is the cutter’s nameboard. The polished longleaf heart pine bears the life story of the cutter’s namesake, donated from the structure of the Etheridge family homestead in Manteo, N.C. It also represents the collective efforts of the ship’s sponsor, an Etheridge family member, the cutter’s crew, the cutter project office and the shipyard. Together they fused the legacy of a Coast Guard cutter, a hero and his heritage.
