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Show INVASION FLEET' r " ' " I , ; ; - , , r . - - , - J ! 1 " - i ' :; t' . r f ' ' - . . - --.-A-I Across the Pacific, men of the United States Coast Guard, along wrth , Army, Navy, and Marine forces, are poised for the final smash ,ng I blows , against the Japs. Here at newly-won Okinawa, dramatically converted into an American harbor, Coast Guardsmen aboard Invas.on sh ps will observe the 155th anniversary of their service on August 4 W'thout pause in the relentless fight against the last Axis enemy. This sweeping scene Is a graphic illustration of America's tremendous Pacific striking force. The United States Coast Guard, oldest commissioned service in the Nation, will celebrate its 155th birthday on August 4, in a wiy the Japs won't like. ' Out in the Pacific invasion fronts Coast Guardsmen will commemorate com-memorate the occasion with renewed re-newed blows at the enemy. Their major assignments on the European front finished, they will mark another year of putting their fighting surfman's skill into difficult amphibious landing operations oper-ations against the Japanese; , manning troops, assault and supply sup-ply ships; performing escort and i convoy duties. Withal, they're not neglecting their traditional peacetime peace-time activities of protecting life and prop-n-ty 'on the seacoass and waterways, or their vital wartime assignment on Port Security. To be sure, there will he speeches throughout the nation 0y a ''raceful people. And there will be a glow of pride by Cosf Ouavcfmer: from here to Okinawa. Okin-awa. But there will be no pause in the main job. Today the 170,000 men and -omen 'wearing tin Coast Guard shield on their right fov-am have parnei.' commendations from the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously; that a Coast Guardsman was responsible for the capture of the saboteurs who landed on Long Island from a Nazi submarine; that a Coast Guard "Splinter Fleet" made up of small 83-footers originally designed for inshore patrol rescued more than 800 survivors of ships blasted by enemy fire at Normandy. To help in Port Security activities, ac-tivities, thousands of patriotic Americans answered the call and enlisted in the Coast) Guard Auxiliary Aux-iliary and the Temporary Reserve, performing tasks formerly done by regular Coast Guardsmen, releasing re-leasing these men for combat duty at sea. Ten thousand women have donned the silver shield as mm-bers mm-bers of the Coast Guard Spars. The Coast Guard is truly living up to its name, . "Semper Paratus, Always Ready." MEL VENtfiR, Lt. Comdr., USCGR Public Information Officer. ranking Army, Navy and Marine C.irps officers, and from government, govern-ment, s'.bte and municipal officials offi-cials . Vhile performing vital P'.rt Security duties on the home front vastly increased with San Francisco Bay now " "the main funnel loi shipment of men, munitions and supplies to PacifYj fighting lionts the Coast Guard is continu'ng to write a bniiiir.'. charter in combat zones. In ev'.iy major invasion since the ' sneak Jap attack on December Decem-ber 7th, 1941 be it North Africa, Sicily. Calerno, Normandy, Guad-alcanal, Guad-alcanal, Tarawa, Leyte, Iwo lima or Okinawa fighting men wiih "USCG" emblazoned across their steel ho mets have manned tiny landing craft darting from gim.t transports to enemy shores. With a minimum of fanfare, the Coast Guard has performed its important wartime services. Few know that this was the first American service to take German prisoners in this war; that a Coast Guardsman, helping in the rescue of Marine trapped behind enemy lines at Guadalcanal, won |