| Show With Years of Outstanding Service In Wars and Peace Coast Guard Has Been Big Bid Factor in Present Successful Operations I The United States coast guard on August 4 celebrates the anniversary anniversary anni- anni F of its founding proud of being being being be be- ing the nations nation's first fleet and t proud of its firsts and its distinguished distinguished distin- distin service on all fronts of t World War Var II IL Most of the men who wear the coast guard i shield on their uniform sleeves will wilI celebrate the services service's birthday overseas for the coast guard created created created cre- cre primarily to prevent smugglers smugglers smugglers smug smug- from reaching the coast ranges far from home in in time of or war to fight alongside the army navy and marine corps The coast guards guard's story really begins 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 Afew Afew A Afew few armed vessels he wrote judiciously judiciously judi stationed at the entrance to our ports might at small expense be made useful sentinels of the laws Jaws With the constitution adopted the first congress elected under it inthe inthe in m the spring of 1790 approved 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 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 was created in 1794 by act of congress congress con con- congress 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 mat officers oin- oin 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 sea-coast sea and repel any hostility hostility hos hos- 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 undeclared unde 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 re vessels vessels ves- ves sels at the disposition of the i v secretary of the navy In the 5 next year congress passed an act providing that the cutters Vr r. v were to operate co-operate with willi the navy whenever the President should so 50 direct direct direct-a a precedent since followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed in hi every war The cutter Taney went through Pearl Harbor unscathed and the next day left the stricken Pacific base on antisubmarine patrol The foot Icarus received credit for sinking the first German submarine in tn United States waters when she blasted a U-boat U and took 33 prisoners pris pris- mers off the Carolina coast A destroyer escort pith several navy ships was in atthe at atthe atthe the kill on the last U-boat U sunk in inthe the he Atlantic by American forces I Many Ships Lost A tragic first of the coast guard was the loss of the cutter Hamilton Hamil Hamil- ton On torpedoed off of Iceland in J January January Janu Janu- anu- anu ary iry 1942 the first American warship warship war- war ship hip lost to a submarine after the start of the war and unfortunately the first of a line of coastguard- coastguard 3 i it t C c. c i J A seaman is ill requiring immediate medical attention Coast guard guar d vessel transfers doctor on a boatswains boatswain's chair to the merchant ship An exam example pIc of the Ule work done by the tile coast guard in their years of o f 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 To- many ninny in peacetime the coast guard was known as the Mercy Fleet and aud there is is along a along along long tradition behind its reputation reputation tion for the saving of life and property at sea Back in in 1833 some sonic of the cutters were assigned assigned as as- assigned signed to aid distressed vessels and save lives a duty they had I I ra w t f yr A A. A i vF r d gait rr d sA q Adm Russell R. R commandant commandant commandant com com- mandant of the U. U S. S coast guard with his third inch half stripe which designates him as a full admiral performed incident incidentally Uy from time to time Congress made this a regular duty by enactment enactment enact enact- ment met in 1837 The combination strengthened the services service's devotion to the saving 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 smaIl craft now no but more than twice the length suggested by Hamilton in his recommendation forthe for forthe forthe the first cutters cutters which had been on 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 ii i 55 S 4 5 4 A 1 y n o r i r G t I it gg r H r M r J r 9 a Coastguard are among the first to drop their ramps at n after A American forces had driven Philippine capital capita the Japs Jas from the Philippine I from channel waters The coast coast- assault transport Bayfield Bayfield Bay Bay- Bayfield field flagship for Utah beach cared cued for Cor 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 th the e coast guards guard's initiative in the experiments experiments ments meets with airplane parachute an and helicopter rescue groups Adm Russell Russell Russell Rus Rus- sell R. R first full admiral t thead to I head the coast guard also sits wit with n n y vv vu ay Ul u tee set up by all of the armed services services services ices to investigate and experiment with rescue techniques From the thc life saving stations the coast guard acquired personnel personnel personnel person person- nel well versed in the knack of handling small boats in battling surf wind and tide The nation has drawn heavily on these mento mento men mento to participate in every invasion of the war and to train oth others rs 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 I assault transport Samuel Chase formerly the passenger ship African Meteor the technique of loading small landing barges at the rail was first used in the invasion of Sicily on July 10 1943 19 The technique was decided upon after the vessels vessel's earlier experience in the African invasion invasion inva inva- sion in November 1942 19 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 |
