| Show With Years of Outstanding Service In Wars and Peace Coast Guard Has Been Big Factor in Present Successful Operations I j The United States coast guard on onI I August 4 celebrates the anniI anniversary anni anni- I of its founding proud of beIng being being be be- ing the nations nation's first fleet and proud of its firsts and its distinguished distinguished distin distin- service on all fronts of World War II Most of the men who wear the coast guard shield on their uniform sleeves will celebrate the services service's birthday overseas for the coast guard created created cre cre- toted primarily to prevent smugglers smugglers smug smug- from reaching the coast ranges far from home in time of war to fight alongside the army navy and marine corps The coast guards guard's story really begins begins be be- gins in 1787 when Alexander Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamil Hamil- ton first secretary of the treasury while urging adoption of the then pending constitution wrote of the need for a sea-going sea service which would prevent material infractions upon the rights of the revenue A Afew Afew Afew few armed vessels he wrote Judiciously Judi stationed at the entrance to our ports might at small expense be made useful sentinels of the laws With the constitution adopted the first congress elected under It it Inthe in inthe inthe the spring of 1790 approved Hamiltons Hamilton's Hamilton's Hamiltons Hamiltons Hamilton's Hamil Hamil- tons ton's idea for a marine law enforcement enforcement enforcement en en- agency and on August 4 1790 the services service's birthday appropriated appropriated money to build 10 cutters and pay salaries to their officers and men For six years the small cutters were the only armed vessels under the United States flag The navy was created in 1794 by act of congress congress congress con con- gress but its ships were not in servIce service service ice until 1797 Given Naval Rank The possible defense value of the cutters was recognized early In suggesting establishment of the service Hamilton asked that officers officers cers of the cutters be given military or naval rank which he said will not only induce fit men to engage engage engage en en- gage but attach them to their duties with a nicer sense of honor In 1797 congress passed a temporary act to increase the strength of the cutters and cause said revenue- revenue cutters to be employed to defend the hostility hostility hos hos- sea-coast sea and repel any to their vessels and commerce within their jurisdiction having due regard to the duties of said cutters In the production of the revenue In 1798 during the undeclared undeclared unde dared naval war with France the President with a view of producing a concert of action of the naval forces of the United States placed the revenue vessels yes ves sels at the disposition of the secretary of the navy In the next year congress passed an act providing that the cutters were to operate co-operate with the navy whenever the President should so direct direct direct-a a precedent since followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed in ever every war The cutter Taney went through Pearl Harbor unscathed and the I next day left the stricken Pacific base on antisubmarine patrol The foot Icarus received credit for sinking the first German submarine in United States waters when she blasted a U-boat U and took 33 prisoners pris prisoners pris pris- of off the Carolina coast A destroyer escort with several navy ships was in at atthe atthe atthe the kill on the last U-boat U sunk in inthe inthe inthe the Atlantic by American forces Many Ships Lost A tragic first of the coast guard was the loss of the cutter Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamil Hamil- ton torpedoed off ofT Iceland in January January January Janu Janu- ary 1942 the first American warship warship warship war war- ship lost to a submarine after the theS S start of the war and unfortunately the first of a line of coastguard- coastguard I I S. S 5 5 5 5 9 5 7 a Zt 4 4 I 4 S 3 A seaman is ill requiring immediate medical attention Coast guard vessel transfers doctor on a n boatswains boatswain's chair to the merchant ship An example ample of the work done by the coast guard In their years of service manned ships lost as the war progressed pro pro- gressed the gressed-the the Acaccia the get the the Escanaba the Leopold and the To many In peacetime the coast guard was known as the Mercy Fleet and there is a along along along long tradition behind its reputation reputation reputation tion for the savin saving sa of life liCe and property at sea Back Dack In 1833 some of the cutters were assigned assigned as as- sl signed ned to aid distressed vessels 4 4 S S. S 44 Adm Russell R. R commandant commandant com corn mandant of the U. U S. S coast guard with wita his third inch half-inch stripe which designates him as a full admiral and save lives a duty they had performed incidentally from time to time The combination strengthened the services service's devotion to the saving saying of life and property property-a a devotion amply demonstrated during this war In the Normandy Invasion a fleet of foot 83 coast guard vessels considered considered considered con con- small craft now but more than twice the length suggested by y Hamilton in his recommendation for forthe forthe forthe the first cutters which had been on onan an antisubmarine duty in the Atlantic was designated as Rescue Flotilla 1 and in the first days of the invasion pulled more than men to safety from channel w waters The coast- coast 4 S S S J S st S I j ci k w. w t 1 S 4 j 4 A 4 3 L are among the first to drop their ramps at Manila after American forces had driven the Japs from fram the Philippine capital I assault transport Bayfield Bayfield Bayfield Bay- Bay field flagship for Utah beach c cared for more than casualties during the three weeks it was anchored anchored anchored an an- off the beachhead Also Serve In Air Outstanding also has been the coast guards guard's initiative in the experiments experiments experiments ments wilh with airplane parachute and hell helicopter copter rescue groups Adm Russell Russell Russell Rus Rus- sell R R. first full admiral to head the coast guard also sits with the Joint Sea Air-Sea Rescue committee committee commit commit- tee set up by all of the armed servIces services services ices to investigate and experiment with rescue techniques From the life lite saving stations the coast guard acquired personnel personnel person person- ad nel well versed in the knack of handling small boats In battling surf wind and tide The nation has drawn heavily on these men mento mento mento to participate in every invasion of the war and to train others in amphibious landings Many were among the personnel of the boat pool set up under Coast Guard Dwight H. H Dexter at Guadalcanal and Tul- Tul agi in August 1942 the Allies' Allies first successful amphibious operation Aboard the assault transport Samuel Chase formerly the passenger ship African Meteor the technique of loading small landing barges at the rail raiT was first used In the invasion of Sicily on July 10 1943 1913 The technique was decided upon after the vessels vessel's earlier experience In the African Invasion invasion Inva inva- sion In November 1912 and speeded up such operations by many precious minutes The coast guard also has been called A sea-going sea handyman andin andin and andin in war or peace the service has become become become be be- come used to having new duties and functions added to its work After the Titanic disaster nations of the world formed the International Ice Patrol and the duty of patrolling was delegated to the coast guard |
