A companion webpage to THE LIFEBOAT STATION.
Forward to the Novel
This story is fiction, and these events never actually happened. Let’s leave it at that, since the Uniform Code of Military Justice has no Statutes of Limitation for certain offenses. What is true is that I’m going to tell you a story that takes place at a small station of the United States Coast Guard in 1967, when the ships, boats, uniforms, and missions, were very different than they are today. The men—and it was all men, back then—were also different; sometimes rude and crafty, often playing fast and loose with the regulations, but always wiling to take big risks to accomplish their mission. They worked hard and played hard.
They were badass.
These characters were the last of their kind, young men who joined a service which had changed only slightly since the end of the Second World War. They learned how to perform their duties with very little formal training, by trial and error and by watching and listening to those who had gone before, relying half on tradition and half on spur-of-the-moment. It all seemed to work out okay–except when it didn’t.
That is the opening passage to the book, and writing that story kindled a whole host of memories of my early years in the Coast Guard. I’m publishing this page in the hope that it will stir some memories for any of my readers who also served in the U. S. Coast Guard a few years ago. Call it a trip down Memory Lane, if you will.
It is a collection of my thoughts and random facts about the twilight of the Old Guard; as such these are not the results of exhaustive research, but only my opinions based on personal experience. This was the era when many of us served on OCEAN STATION WEATHER PATROLS, and LORAN Stations and DEEP FREEZE missions were winding down. It will be updated and revised as the publishing date of the novel approaches, hopefully by September 2023
You can help! There is a gallery of photographs very unofficial photographs at the end of this page. If you have a picture of your shipmates and unit from the Dungaree and Cracker Jack era you would like added to the collection you can eMail it to me. Time does not allow me to keep track of names and dates, but I’ll do my best to toss any submissions into the collage.
I can also include a limited number of sea stories, jokes and reminiscences. These will all be credited if they are original; otherwise please tell me where you heard it. Please keep it brief, and if the text is long a PDF format would work well.
Hope you old salts enjoy this page!
When was the Old Coast Guard?
This is a matter of opinion and an endless debate. Personally I believe that the organization is continually evolving, but between 1960 and 1980 the USCG was transformed into an entirely new service, so that era is the focus of this page. However, some old Coastie’s need to point to a specific event, policy, date, or moment, that marked the end of the Old Guard for them. Here is my list of possible ‘hinge points’ in the transformation of the Coast Guard:
1914 – The First World War ends.
1915 – The Revenue Marine and the Life Saving Service merge to form the US Coast Guard by act of Congress.
1933 – Prohibition and the Rum Runner era end.
1939 – The Lighthouse Service becomes part of the Coast Guard.
1942 – The Women’s Reserve is created, known as SPARS, Semper Paratus Always Ready.
1945 – The Second World War and mounted beach patrols end.
1946 – The Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation becomes part of the Coast Guard.
1962 – CG 44300, the first steel 44 Foot Motor Lifeboat is delivered to Station Chatham, MA.
1967 – Commandant Edwin Roland orders ‘Racing Stripes’ on all Coast Guard assets.
1967 – The USCG leaves the Treasury Department to be reassigned to the new Department of Transportation.
1972 – The transition to ‘Bender Blues’ uniforms begins.
1974 – All female Recruit Company Sierra 89 forms at Cape May.
1977 – Ocean Station Weather Patrols end.
1977 – Women are assigned to sea duty.
1983 – Final flight of CG-7250, last of the HU-25 ‘GOAT’ piston powered aircraft.
1985 – WLV-612, the last Nantucket Lightship is decommissioned.
1988 – CGC INGHAM, the last steam powered Treasury Class cutter is decommissioned.
1991 – The Cold War and the USCG Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission ends.
2002 – The Coast Guard is reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security.
2010 – The last Coast Guard LORAN Station at ATTU ceases transmitting signals.
2011 – Don’t-Ask Don’t tell is repealed.
2021 – Admiral Linda Fagan is sworn in as the first woman Commandant.
Cutters, Boats, and Aircraft
This is a gallery of some of the extinct cutters, boats and aircraft that were around at the twilight of the Old Coast Guard. A few survive under other flags or as display artifacts, but they are mostly razor blades, submarine reefs, or rusting hulks by now.
Small Boats
36 Foot Motor Lifeboat, Single Screw, Wood hull. This one has a spray shield rather than the usual windshield and a mast with a sail. The crew appear to be Surfmen.
Patrol Boats
High Endurance Cutters
Medium Endurance Cutters
USCGC General Greene, a “Buck and a Quarter.”
Aids to Navigation – Black Hulls
Aviation
Definitely The Old Coast Guard!
These are some postwar units that didn’t make it into the Twilight of the Old Guard around 1970.
Ocean Station Weather Patrols
This page is under construction, but here are some things I’m working on:
Hump Day
Weird Beard Contests
Sea Showers
Mimeographed Plans of the day
Fantail Jumping
Fantail Fireflies
Beer in the Soda Machine
Rope Yarn Sunday
Mid Rats
Late Rack
Pipe Racks and Cube Lockers
Pranks: The Mail Buoy, Fetch A Bucket of Steam, Go get a tube of
Relative Bearing Grease
Passing The Word
A cutter’s routine was regulated by the 1MC general announcing circuit. Here are some of the common ‘pipes’, in no particular order:
“Reveille, reveille, reveille, all hands heave out and trice up.”
“Up all late bunks.”
“All hands to quarters for muster, foul weather parade.”
“Set material condition Dog Zebra throughout the ship, damage control petty officers make reports to the bridge.”
“Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms, give the ship a clean sweep-down fore and aft, sweep down all lower decks, ladder wells,. Now sweepers.”
“Haul over all hatch hoods and gun covers.”
“Stand by for collision, port side, frame 50. All hands close all watertight doors and hatches.”
“All hands prepare to abandon ship. Provide. Nearest land bears 980 miles bearing 275 degrees. Natives are designated friendly.“
“Set the special sea detail.
“Now the officer of the deck is shifting his watch from the bridge to the quarterdeck.”
“Now liberty, liberty, liberty. Liberty is granted to duty sections one and three to expire onboard prior to 0700.”
“Now lady visitors aboard.”
“Now the roach coach is on the approach.”
“YOKE Is No Joke”
Remember the material conditions of readiness?
XRAY, set only in secure harbors.
YOKE, normal peacetime underway and in port condition after working hours.
ZEBRA, emergency situations and battle conditions.
DOG ZEBRA, darken ship.
Circle fittings may be opened without special authority to take soundings and operate vital systems.
Bad Attitudes
“Semper Paratus is a laugh, we only joined to beat the draft. The only time we go to sea is when we take a bath.“
PHOTO GALLERY
This is a random collage of pictures from the Old Coast Guard. I hope to expand it greatly over time.
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