My Cover and profile photos as well as my photo spread today are all about my career in the U.S. Coast Guard. Sunday is the Coast Guard’s 223rd Birthday. I served in that proud service from March 1957 when I enlisted as a Seaman Recruit until I retired in August 1984 as a Chief Warrant Officer. The Coast Guard was established as the Revenue Cutter Service by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton on August 4, 1790. The United States was a brand new country and depended on others for most of our goods and necessities of life. With no Navy we had no way to compel the people shipping supplies to our shores to pay revenues or import taxes. Ten fast, heavily armed cutters along with their officers and crews were commissioned to stop incoming ships and collect these taxes and our Country survived. Traditionally The Coast Guard was part of the Treasury Department, subsequently it came under the Department of Transportation and it is currently the largest organization in the Homeland Defense Department. This makes the Coast Guard the longest continuous seagoing service in America. The Navy like the Militia/Revolutionary Army disbanded and went back to their shops and farms after the War. The modern Navy was not established until 1798. The Coast Guard is the 5th and smallest of our armed services and has participated in every armed conflict this Country has been involved in. In peacetime the Coast Guard has many missions not the least of which is saving lives. I am proud to have served in the U.S. Coast Guard and would do it all over again if given the chance. Semper Paratus. All my Facebook friends enjoy your weekend and if you happen to run across a Coast Guardsman or woman. Tell them thank you for their service.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 17:04:08 +0000