| Show Coast Guards Guard's i Birthday Finds It Fighting Axis j jOn J On Seven Seas in in Addition to Peacetime Duties 1 Service Originated As Arm Ann of Treasury To rIo Check Smuggling Soon after neter he took over di direction direction of the treasury in George Washington's cabinet Alexander lexander Hamilton discovered discovered discovered ered that the government was losing a lot of sorely needed revenue because of the brisk smuggling that was going on along the coast Accordingly he told the President that something would have to be bedone done Washington brought the matter to the attention of congress and that body acting act net acting ing with remarkable celerity provided funds for the establishment of the Revenue Cutter Cut Cut- Cutter Cutter ter Service So it was that on August 4 1790 1700 the U U. S S. S coast coastguard coastguard coastguard guard was born The service is celebrating its 15 anni anni- anniversary anniversary this year It has the longest record of all the na nations nation's na na- nations nation's tion's sea forces having tak tak- taken taken en n part in every war since the Revolution From post po t. t Revolutionary days when It operated n a handful of tiny foot 48 cutters concentrating on the collection of Import duties for or the Infant republic the coast guard has expanded In scope of its activities and in size until today It has more than and enlisted men and Is fighting the Axis all allover allover lover over the world Actually the Act of 1700 I merely authorized the building of six revenue cutlers cutters to insure the I collection of customs But Out our founding fathers realized that this little fleet Meet might prove valuable as a defense unit So it was decided to toor organize organic or the men nun and ships on a military basis Washing Washington ton commissioned Heaton of New Hampshire to command a n cutter cut cut- cutter ter ler in the service of the tho United States Sta 11 One hundred and four fifty years later const coast guard vessels arc are operate operating ing hug as lIS part of the navy sweeping the seas of enemy subs and coast const coastguard coastguard guard landing craft are spear head spearheading ing Invasions putting marines ashore In the South Pacific and the army In France The coast const guard has fulfilled the fondest fonde t hopes of its founders But nul the military usefulness of the coast guard which hns has reached a II peak penk in this war was was apparent soon scion after its organic lion In Ir I 1797 American bund for England were wen seized and boarded by priva priva- French vessels operating with tacit blessing of the It evolution evolutionary ary my government go of France lorance fought Trench rs When In 1799 the U. U t. t S. S S navy was finally organized and new nw ships were sent enl out to aid the cutters cullers In their battle against the French But Dut It Is Interesting to note that of the 22 ships captured 18 were taken by bythe bythe bythe the coast const guard which also assisted in the capture of two more more I The undeclared war against France saw the establishment of the II precedent of transferring the coast coastguard coastguard guard from the treasury department to the navy In time of war Ever EverI I I since this date dale the alert trim fight fighting ing lug coast guard cutters and men have Joined the navy by presidential proclamation on the outbreak of 01 hostilities When pence with France was re restored re- re restored stored in 1801 1601 the cutters were returned re returned turned to the treasury department and in an economy conomy measure by the pressed hard hard pressed government gO several I I f i. i EXPERTLY handling their land lag Ing craft coast guardsmen bring a abarge barge loaded with soldiers to shore shor through the treacherous surf of th the South Pacific IacI e. e This boat wa was was swamped but the crew managed t tn la laland land the tho troops entrusted to their care r were decommissioned But when during the coming years fears lears o oa of ofa ofa a war with England caused anxious naval authorities to survey ou our our naval strength additional cutters cutter were authorized and built all nil o of which served with distinction In the thi War of 1812 The Civil war wrought havoc with will the revenue cutter cutler service although all its vessels fought on the side o othe of the Union Trained crews crews' and cl of cf torn between divided loyal loyal- loyalties tics ties left the service to Join their thel respective sides To fill the places place of these men having decades o of service and experience relaxed r standards made possible the admix slon sion of some unfit morally and men men- mentally mentally tally and soon after the war a com com- reorganization of the service was necessary And this thil zu lion was wa s thorough New ships were constructed am amin and andIn andin in 1870 1670 an nn academy was established to train tra In officers Although at a t first firs the academy was merely a barken barkentine tine line The Dobbin anchored ofT of New Bedford and later the Chase at Baltimore no move did more t to establish the esprit de corps o of the coast guard retain and pass on or orUs Its Us traditions and raise the service to o the high standards of unity that thai tt It has achieved today The rhe present coast coast guard academy at New Lon Lon- London don Jon Conn compares favorably with Mth Annapolis and West Point Police Duty Duly In Alaska Ala ka Meanwhile the service was en en- entrusted trusted rusted with new duties while Its old ld functions were enlarged with the growth of the nation The Tho acquisition tion of Alaska was an nn important event for the tho coast guard for to li It was given the t l of tag la t ifer r In lit the territory When the the Japs sips ops invaded the Aleu Aleu- Aleutian Aleutian tian Islands the decades of expert once of the coast guard in the wild wile unpredictable waters of the Arctic Is bearing fruit In 1915 the coast guard was merged with the life lire saving service and for foi forthe the first time the tho name COAST COASTGUARD COASTGUARD GUARD GUARO was officially recognized The merger of these two units traits was wasn wasa n a logical development for the cutter and life saving units were both branches of the treasury department and had operated closely for foi many years cars The lighthouse division was riot not made an nn official member of the coast guard family fa mil until 1939 World War 1 I found the coast coas' coastguard guard as usual ready for anything A terse terse presidential message message Plan Piar One Acknowledge trans transferred the coast guard ships anc and personnel into the navy for the dura lion tion Coast guard officers were ers assigned to duty duly at naval station stations and on naval ships throughout thE th world with many being given com coo command mand posts The cutters as usua w. w 1 7 a t t tv 4 c Ml ne on a coast guard cutler culler assigned to rescue work 1 II the tbt English lulI h channel keep anxious watch as the th they scan sean the choppy water for soldiers who oho I ho were Here tossed into the sea sra when their rm In asief barge wa sunk This flotilla of cutters sa saved hundreds or of men during durin the th la l-la D Da i period |
