traditions -200 years of history

8/11/2019 Traditions -200 Years of History

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Traditions200 years of history

y Mrs Florence Kernand P l Barbara Voulgaris


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u s Coast Guard, this nation s oldest continuous maritime service, is rich in traditions. The origins of many of these may be traced back many centuries well beyond the establishing of the Service in1790. Such is the case with the ceremonies for thecommissioning of ships and Dining In. Other traditions are more modern such as the Ancient Albatrossand the Ancient Mariner awards.

The Coast Guard s ~ j ~ l jnation s sea servicesand as such shares w t rservices many traditions. But the Coast u IS also unique and assuch has evolved traditions of its own. Many of these

are addressed in this brochure. The Historian sOffice, Public Mfairs Staff (G-CP /H would bepleased to hear from anyone caring to contribute tofuture editions of this publication.

- Dr Robert L Scheina,oast Guard Historian

Washington, D.C.July 1990

Traditions 200 years o history, is a Bicentennial publication by the Co ast Guard Historian s office, July 1990. Research andmanuscript by Mrs. Florence Kern. Editing and design by PAl Barbara Voulgaris. Front cover photo: The first Escanaba is launchedSeptember 17, 1932, at ay City, Mich. The cutter was later lost with all but two hands, June 13, 1943. Back cover: GeorgeWashington is given a tour of Portsmouth Harbor, N.H., by honorary coxswain Hopley Yeaton, on Washington s left, in November1789. Yeaton became the first officer commissioned in to the Coast Guard s forefather, the Revenue Cutter Service.


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U.S. Revenue cutter Alexander Hamilton in 1840. The ship of the line Ohio 1817-1883 is in the right background. Oil by R Salmon 1840. Photo courtesy of the Peabody Museum Salem Mass.

The standardThe origins of the Coast Guard standard are

very obscure. t may have evolved from an earlyjack. At least one contemporary painting sup

ports this theory. In this 1840 painting picturedabove, the Revenue cutter lexander Hamiltonflies a flag very similar to today's Coast Guardstandard as a jack. This flag, like the union jack,which is the upper corner of the United Statesflag, appears to be the canton or upper corner ofthe Revenue cutter ensign.

A n i l lustration in 1917 shows the CoastGuard standard as a white flag with a blue eagleand 3 stars in a semi-circle surrounding it. At alater date, the words, United States CoastGuard - Semper Paratus were added.

After 1950, the semi-circle of stars waschanged to the circle containing 13 stars, asshown in this 1960s photo to the right.

The Coast Guard standard is used during parades and ceremonies and is adorned by our 30battle streamers. We are unique to the other services for we have two official flags, the CoastGuard standard and the Coast Guard ensign.

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The ensignThe initial job of the first revenue cutters was

to guarantee that the maritime public was not

evading taxes. Impor t taxes were the life bloodof the new nation. Smuggling had become a pa-triotic duty during the revolution. If the newnation under the Constitution were to survivethis activity needed to be stopped. '

Working within a limited budget cuttersneeded some symbol of authority. Neither offi-cers nor men had uniforms. How could a rev-enue cutter come alongside a merchant ship dur-ing an age of pirates and privateers and order itto heave to?

The solution was to create an ensign uniqueto the revenue cutter to fly in place of the na-tional flag while in American waters.

Nine years after the establishment of theRevenue Cutter Service, Congress, in the Act ofMarch 2 1799, provided that cutters and boatsemployed in the service of the revenue should bedistinguished from other vessels by a unique en-sign and pennant.

On August 1 1799, Secretary of the Treasury,Oliver Wolcott, issued an order announcing that

in pursuance of authority from the President, thedistinguishing ensign and pennant would consistof 16 perpendicular stripes, alternate red andwhite, .the union o the ensign to be the arms o theUnited tates in a dark blue on a white field.

The ensign was poignant with historical de-tail, inasmuch as in the canton of the flag, thereare 13 stars, 13 leaves to the olive branch, 13 ar-rows and 13 bars to the shield. All correspondedto the number of states constituting the union atthe time the nation was established. The 16 ver-tical stripes in the body are symbolic of the num-ber of States composing the Union when thisensign was officially adopted.

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This ensign soon became very familiar in

American waters and served as the sign of au-thority for the Revenue Cutter Service until theearly 20th century.

The ensign was intended to be flown only onrevenue cutters and boats connected with theCustoms Service. But over the years it wasfound flying atop custom houses as well.However, President William Howard Taft issuedan Executive Order June 7 1910, adding an em-blem to the ensign flown by the Revenue cutters

Upper far left This was the original ensign designedn 1799. Note the American style eagle with the

wreath of stars. Lower far left Adopted prior to theCivil War this ensign has the Roman style eagle withits down-turned wings. Left from top t bottom TheAmerican eagle returned to the ensign in the latterpart of the 19th century. In the middle flag note theaddition of the emblem. This ensign was adopted in1910. The current ensign shown below wasadopted n 1953.

to distinguish it from the ensign flown from thecustom houses, which read: By virtue of the au-thority vested in me under the provisions o Sec.2764 o the revised Statutes, hereby prescribe thatthe distinguishing flag now used by vessels o theRevenue Cutter Service be marked by the distinctiveemblem of that service, in blue and white, placed ona line with the lower edge of the union, and over thecenter o the seventh vertical red stripe from themast of said flag, the emblem to cover a horizontalspace of three stripes. This change to be made assoon as practicable.

A t about this time cutters began flying theU.S. flag as their naval ensign and the revenueensign became the Service s distinctive flag.

When the service adopted the name CoastGuard the Revenue Cutter Service s ensign be-came the distinctive flag on all Coast Guard cut-ters as it had been for the revenue cutters.

The colors used in the Coast Guard ensign to-day, as in the Revenue Cutter Service are allsymbolic. The color red stands for our youth andsacrifice of blood for liberty s sake. The colorblue not only stands for justice, but also for ourcovenant against oppression. The white symbol-izes our desire for light and purity.

As it was intended in 1799, the ensign is dis-played as a mark of authority for boardings, ex-aminations and seizures of vessels for the purposeof enforcing the laws of the United States. Theensign is never carried as a parade or ceremonystandard.

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oJ. -

P E N N N T R E V E N U E M R I N E

Pictured from top to bottom: This version of thecommission pennant was adopted prior to the CivilWar. This commission pennant was adoptedsometime after the Civil War and still flies todayfrom the main mast of our cutters.

The first commission pennant adopted in 1799 isshown on page 3 flying from the Revenue cutterVigilanfs mast The 1840 painting pictured onpage 2 shows an early version of the jack flyingfrom the jackstaff of the Revenue cutter

AlexanderHamilton

he jack andcomm ss on

penn ntDuring its early years, the Revenue Cutter

Service flew the canton (the upper corner of theflag nearest the staff of the Revenue Cutterensign as its jack. This practice persisted at leastinto the 1830s. Prior to the U.S. Civil War, theRevenue Cutter Service adopted as its new jackthe canton of the United States Flag (the UnionJack and this continues to this day

Now, the jack is flown from the jackstaff onlywhile at anchor. During the early years of theService it was frequently flown on special occasions either at the jackstaff or atop the mainmast while underway as well as when at anchor.

The Coast Guard commission pennant wascreated at the same time as the ensign in 1799.The original commission pennant bore the samestyle American eagle as the ensign, 16 verticalred and white stripes, and a white-over-red vertical tail.

Prior to the U.S. Civil War, the RevenueCutter Service adopted a commission pennantwhich had thirteen blue stars on a white field,thirteen vertical red and white stripes, and a redswallowed tail.

Sometime after the war, the Service adoptedthe same commission pennant as the U.S. Navy.This pennant has thirteen white stars on a bluefield, thirteen vertical red and white stripes, anda red swallowed tail. The pennant is flown fromthe top of the main mast.

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district at the American routingoffice in Philadelphia. He wasalso censor for the district, andwas the first Coas t Guard officert report a German submarineon the Atlantic coast. After thewar, Van Boskerck transferred tothe Puget Sound Navy Yard tsupervise repairs on the famouscutter Bear. He commanded

ear on the 1920 summer cruiseto the Bering Sea and ArcticOcean.

In 1922, as commander ofYamacraw Van Boskerck wassta t ioned at Savannah andchased rum-runners off the coastof the Carolinas and Florida. In1923 he went t the Naval WarCollege at Newport, R.I., and in1924 became Distr ic tCommander of the Great LakesDistrict . Van Boskerck wascommissioned Captain in 1925.

Captain Van, as he was

r Paratus known to his many friends, was e e next ordered to Seattle as AssistantInspector of the Northwest

No one seems t know exactly how Semper District. In 1925 and 1926 he was CommanderParatus was chosen as the Coast Guard's mot of the Bering Sea Forces, headquartered atto. But there is no doubt as to who put the fa the remote port of Unalaska. It was heremous motto to words and music. that he found time t fit the words of his

Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck, pic- song to music with the help of two Publictured above as a First Lieutenant about 1907 Health dentists, Alf E N annestad andwrote the words in the cabin of the cut- Joseph O. Fournier. Mrs. Albert Cter Yamacraw in Savannah, Ga., in Clara Goss, the wife of a fur trader, let1922. He wrote the music five years them use the beat-up piano on whichla ter on a beat-up old piano in the song was written.Unalaska, Alaska. At that time it was For probably as long as Captainprobably the only piano in the whole Van could remember, Semper Paratuslong chain of Aleutian Islands. had been a Revenue Cutter and Coast

Van Boskerck received his commis Guard watchword. The words themsion in the Revenue Cutter Service selves - always ready or ever ready May 20, 1891. Between 1914 and 1915 date back to ancient times.he superintended the construction of the No official recognition was given t thecutters Tallapoosa and Ossipee at Newport Coast Guard motto until it appeared in 1910 onNews, Va. the ensign. Captain Van hoped to give it as

In 1917 he was Capta in of the Port in much recognition as Semper Fideles of thePhiladelphia and an aide for the fourth naval Marines and Anchors Away of the Navy.

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Sea l s andemblems

The creation of an official Coast Guard sealconfirmed the existence of a symbol that hadevolved over the decades. The Revenue CutterService the Life-Saving Service and theLighthouse Service all had their own unique dis-tinguishing devices. The Bureau of MarineInspection and Navigation used drawings of

ships and marine equipment on licenses and sta-tionery. But it wasn t until 1927, after TreasurySecretary Andrew W Mellon approved a design,tha t the Coast Guard had its first officialseal/emblem. At that time, the seal and emblemwere one in the same. This seal/emblem wasdesigned by civilian Coast Guard draftsmanOscar H. Kee.

Over the years, the seal and emblem becametwo different devices. The emblem, a simplifica-tion of the seal, began to appear throughout theservice. Consequently in 1957 Assistant

Treasury Secretary David W Kendall, signed anorder prescribing the distinctive emblem of theCoast Guard. This order specified that theemblem be used on the Coast Guard ensign, butdid not indicate any additional use.

Apparently the emblem continued in wideuse. In 1967, Commandant Instruction 5030.6defined the use of the Coast Guard seal and theCoast Guard emblem.

The seal is used for official documents andrecords of the Coast Guard. t may also be usedfor jewelry, stationery, etc., at the discretion of

the Commandant. The official seal is also usedon invitations, programs, certificates, diplomasand greetings.

The Coast Guard emblem, a simplified versionof the seal, was created as a visual identifier forthe Coast Guard. Not only on the Coast Guardensign, the emblem also appears inside the dis-tinctive slash on the sides of our cutters, craft,aircraft and at our units. It is also used onmedals and plaques where space is limited.

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Far left top to bottom An early seal of theRevenue Cutter service probably dating backto the 1860s The seal of the life savingservice. This design was used on lighthouseservice hats.Counter clockwise from left A later version ofthe Revenue Cutter seal. The official CoastGuard seal. This design was used on top ofSteamboat Inspection Service documents. The Coast Guard emblem.

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he slashOur familiar and distinctive red slash or rac

ing stripe did not appear on our cutters, boatsand aircraft unt il relatively late in our history.

In the early '60s, America's visual image hadbeen neglected both inside s well s outside theU.S. Since image-building played an importantrole in the recent election of President John FKennedy, the industrial design firm of RaymondLoewy/William Snaith, Inc. was hired to redesign the exterior and interior of the presidential plane. Kennedy was so pleased with the newdesign that he approved their proposal for improving the world-wide visual identification ofthe U.S. government.

In 1964, the firm recommended that theCoast Guard adopt a symbol or mark that wouldbe easily distinguished from other governmentagencies and easily applied to ships, boats, aircraft, stations, vehicles, signs and printed forms.

Their design was a wide red bar to the right ofa narrow blue bar, both canted at 64 degrees.Centered on the red bar was a new emblem.

Studies were done with experimental markings for their impact on the public, as well s

their long-run compatibility with the CoastGuard s mission and traditions. The reactionwas overwhelmingly favorable. Three years later, on April 6, 1967, the now famous slash appeared throughout the Coast Guard.

In the final design, only the emblem changed.The traditional Coast Guard emblem was selected for centering on the red stripe over the newdesign.

CO ST U

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Clockwise from left: The CoastGuard cutter Reliance displays ourdistinctive slash or racing stripe The Coast Guard cutterAndroscoggin with an experimentalseal during the filming o the movieAssault on a Queen A model othe cutter Reliance with a proposeddesign or the slash

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CommandantsAlthough the Coast Guard is more than 200

years old, the title Commandant comes relatively late in our history.

Lack of centralization under federal controlplagued our service during its first 50 years.From 1790 until 1843 control of the cutters waslargely in the hands of the individual customscollectors and their political friends.

In 1843, Captain Alexander V. Fraser was appointed Chief of the Revenue Marine Bureau.His job was to bring uniformity into the operation of the cutters and overhaul the service. AsBureau chief for five years, Fraser streamlinedthe service, supervised the construction of itsfirst steam cutters, abolished shipboard slaveryand flogging, raised salaries, established a meritsystem of promotion and advised joining theRevenue Marine Service with the LighthouseService and the Life-Saving Service. He hadmany of the same duties s the later comman

dants.Fraser's successor as Chief of the Bureau,

Captain Richard Evans, held the post for justone year. With Evan's departure the RevenueMarine Bureau once again fell into the hands ofthe customs collectors.

Forty years later, Captain Leonard G. Shepardbecame Chief of the Revenue Marine Divisionand is considered to be our first Commandant.

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In 1894 legislation directed, tha t theSecretary of the Treasury shall detail a captain ofthe Revenue Cutter Service, who shall be chiefof the division of Revenue Cutter Service.

This legislation was of major importance inour history because it was the first statutory definition of the revenue cutter system s an organized and distinct service. In addition, therehad never been a statutory requirement that thechief of the service be a uniformed officer from

its own ranks.After the appointment of Captain Shepard,national command then became part of theCoast Guard tradition s it exists today. Shepa rdheads the list of distinguished officers appointedby the President to head the Coast Guard.

Between 1894 and 1908, captains of theRevenue Cut te r Service served as Chief,Division of Revenue Cutter Service in theTreasury De partment.

The title of Commandant dates to a 1923 actwhich distributed the commissioned line and en

gineer officers of the Coast Guard in grades.Before 1923, the rank and title of the head ofthe Coast Guard was captain-commandant.The rank captain-commandant originated inthe Revenue Cutter Service in 1908.

No vice commandants were appointed until1929. Captain Benjamin N. Chiswell was thefirst vice commandan t.


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The Commandants1 8 8 9 1 8 9 5 Captain Leonard G. Shepard, USRCS, Captain-Commandant, Chief Revenue

Marine Division1 8 9 5 1 9 5 Captain Charles F Shoemaker, USRCS Captain-Commadant, Chief Revenue Marine

Division19 5 1911 Captain Worth G. Ross, USRCS, Captain Commandant1 9 11 1 9 1 9 Commodore Ellsworth P Bertholf, Captain-Commandant; Chief Division of Revenue

Cutter Service until 1915 when it became known as U.S. Coast Guard.1 9 1 9 1 9 2 4 Rear Admiral William F Reynolds, first captain and later Rear Admiral Commandant.

Reappointed Commandant on Jan. 12, 1923 with rank of RADM effectiveOctober 2 1923. He was the first officer to attain this rank.

1 9 2 4 1 9 3 2 Rear Admiral Frederi ck C. Billard1 9 3 2 1 9 3 6 Rear Admiral Harry G. Hamlet1 9 3 6 1 9 4 6 Admiral Russell R. Waesche. Appointed Commandant as Rear Admiral, appointed Vice

Admiral March 10, 1942. Appointed full Admiral April 4 1945. He was the first CoastGuard officer to attain the ranks of vice and full Admiral.

1 9 4 6 1 9 4 9 Admiral Joseph F Farley1 9 5 1 9 5 4 Vice Admiral Merlin O Neill1 9 5 4 1 9 6 2 Admiral Alfred C. Richmond. Appointed Commandant as Vice Admiral; appointed

full Admiral June 1 1960 by Act of May 14, 1960, Public Law 86-474, under which allCoast Guard Commandants thereafter automatically became full Admirals.

1 9 6 2 1 9 6 6 Admiral Edwin J. Roland1 9 6 6 1 9 7 Admiral Willard J. Smith1 9 7 1 9 7 4 Admiral Chester R. Bender1 9 7 4 1 9 7 8 Admiral Owen W. Siler1 9 7 8 1 9 8 2 Admiral John B. Hayes1 9 8 2 1 9 8 6 Admiral James S. Gracey1 9 8 6 1 9 9 Admiral Paul A. Yost, Jr.1 9 9 Admiral J. William Kime

The Vice Commandants1929 1931 Captain Benjamin M. Chiswell1931 1941 Rear Admiral Leon C. Covell1 9 4 1 1 9 4 6 Rear Admiral Lloyd 1 Chalker1 9 4 6 1 9 4 9 Rear Admiral Merlin O Neill1 9 5 1 9 5 4 Rear Admiral Alfred C. Richmond1 9 5 4 1 9 6 2 Vice Admiral James A. Hirshfield1 9 6 2 Vice Admiral Edwin J. Roland1 9 6 2 1 9 6 4 Vice Admiral Donald M. Morrison1 9 6 4 1 9 6 6 Vice Admiral William D. Shields1 9 6 6 1 9 7 Vice Admiral Paul E. Trimble1 9 7 1 9 7 4 Vice Admiral Thomas R. Sargent, III1 9 7 4 1 9 7 8 Vice Admiral Ellis L. Perry1 9 7 8 1 9 8 2 Vice Admiral Robert H. Scarborough1 9 8 2 1 9 8 6 Vice Admiral Benedict L. Stabile1 9 8 6 1 9 8 8 Vice Admiral James C Irwin1 9 8 8 1 9 9 Vice Admiral Clyde 1 Lusk, Jr1 9 9 Vice Admiral Martin H. Daniell

Opposite page left t right: Ournewest Commandant ADM J.William Kime became our 19thCommandant May 31, 1990. Recognized as the firstCommandant, Captain Leonard G.Shepard headed our service from1889 until 1895

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hristenings and commissioningsThe tradition of christening and commission

ing a ship started well before the first ten revenue cutters entered the service. The practicedates back to ancient times when the Greeks,Romans, Egyptians and Vikings called upon thegods to protect their ships and crew from the

perilous sea. Religion played an important rolein these ceremonies. In fact, christenings originated as a way to appease the gods of the elements.

Christening gives a ship its identity. Over theyears, different cultures and people changed andshaped the way ceremonies were performed andsome of these traditions were carried over intomodem times.

A ship is traditionally christened or given itsname at the time it is launched into the water.When a ship is christened, it is tradition to break

a bottle across the ship's bow. This practicebegan in Britain in the late seventeenth century.Previously, an official would sip wine from astand ing cup, a large loving cup made of pre

cious metal, then pour out the remaining wineonto the deck or over the ship's bow. The cupwas then tossed overboard. This practice soonbecame too costly and a net was used to catchthe cup so it could be re-used at other launchings. Wine was the traditional liquid used to

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christen a ship, although other liquids were usedsuch as whiskey, brandy and water. At the closeof the nineteenth century champagne becamethe popular liquid with which to chris ten a ship.However, during prohibition ships were christened with water.

Ship's sponsors were generally royalty or .senior naval officers. In the nineteenth century,women became ship sponsors for the first time.Women sponsored ships more and more frequently, although it was not the rule.

The actual physical process of launching anew ship from a building site to the waterinvolves three principal methods. Oldest, mostfamiliar and most widely used is the end-onlaunch in which the vessel slides, usually stemfirst, down an inclined shipway. The sidelaunch, whereby the ship enters the water

broadside, came into nineteenth-century use oninland waters, rivers and lakes. It was givenmajor impetus by the World War building program. Another method involves ships built inbasins or graving docks. When ready, ships constructed in this manner are floated by admittingwater into the dock.

The commissioning ceremony completes thecycle from christening and launching to full status as a cutter in the United States Coast Guard.


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Unlike the christening/launching ceremony found in contemporary newspapers. In recentcommissionings were attended by no ceremony years however commissionings have come to bein early American maritime history. They were publ ic occasions.not public affairs and no accounts of them are

Clockwise from far left:Launching the secondEscanaba March 25 1945.The launching of her name-sake the first Escanaba ispictured on the cover. The cutters Raritan andNaugatuck are launchedtogether in Bay City Mich.March 23 1939. The cutter Haida is chris-tened n Oakland Calif. n1921.

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heifesaving

MedalsHeroic deeds and daring rescues at sea have

always been a part of the Coast Guard tradition.But it was not until Congress passed the LifeSaving Act of June 20 1874 that First andSecond Class Medals were established and

medals were awarded. The first medal was reserved for rescues of extreme and heroic daringthe second for those slightly less outstanding.

Congress changed these designations in 1882renaming the First Class medal the GoldLifesaving Medal and the Second Class Medalthe Silver Lifesaving Medal.

These medals are awarded to people who endanger their own lives while saving or attempting to save another from drowning a shipwreckor other perils of the water.

The first gold medals were awarded to three

brothers who rescued two people from ashipwreck on Lake Erie in 1875. In Novemberof the same year two men received silver medalsafter they rescued two people from a shipwreckoff the Maine coast.

One of the most celebrated lifesavers in ourhistory was Joshua James. James is credited withsaving more than 600 lives and earned two goldmedals three silver and other awards during hislong and distinguished career.

A t the age of 15 James joined theMassachusetts Humane Society and later the

U.S. Life-Saving Service.His most famous rescue and one in which hereceived one of the Gold Lifesaving medals wasin November of 1888. James and his crew saved9 people from five different vessels during one

of the worst storms to hit Hull Mass.Since 1874 more than 600 Gold Lifesaving

Medals and more than 1 900 Silver LifesavingMedals have been awarded.

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Lifesaver Joshua James wearing the five medals hereceived during his long career. The Gold LifesavingMedal is in the center. This photograph illustratesthat gold silver and bronze medals were also award-ed by states and humanitarian societies. James wasawarded the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal as wellas another gold three silver and a bronze from theMassachusetts Humane Society.

The Secretary of Transportation has formalauthority for the Lifesaving medals. The CoastGuard Commandant is responsible for the administrative details including determination ofeligibility.

Traditionally these were the only lifesavingmedals issued by the Coast Guard to civilians aswell as military people. Today military peoplemay only receive these medals if they performedtheir act in an authorized leave or liberty status.Even then a military award may be more appropriate.

The Gold and Silver Lifesaving Medals weredesigned by Anthony Paquet and were firststruck at the Philadelphia Mint. The GoldLifesaving Medal is 99.9 percent gold and theSilver Medal is 99 percent silver.


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The oastGuard MedalThe Coast Guard Medal created Aug. 4

1949 is awarded to any person who while serv-ing on active duty in the Coast Guard distin-guishes himself y heroism not involving actualconflict with an enemy.

For acts of lifesaving or attempted lifesavingthe Coast Guard Medal requirements parallel

those of the Gold Lifesaving Medal.

Clockwise from left The Coast Guard Medal. BM3 Dominic Rice is awarded the Coast GuardMedal. He used his surfboard to rescue two peoplefrom a near capsized boat off the California coast.Rice was on liberty when he saved the pair in 1986. BM2 Robert Mcintosh of the cutter Rush is award-e the Coast Guard Medal. Mcintosh dove into the

frigid waters of the Beringse

to save a shipmatewho had fallen overboard in February of 1989.

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h e battle

streamersThere is no doubt that the Coast Guard cherishes its many peacetime activities. But it is alsoproud of its services in the wars of the UnitedStates. The system of cutters was only sevenyears old when several of its fleet fought in theQuasi- War with France. In this war and the Warof 1812, these small, lightly armed cutters provedtheir worth against experienced European warships.

Embroidering the names of battles on flagsmay be traced to the early days of the republic.

y the end of the 19th century, embroidery wasdiscontinued in favor of inscribed silver bandsaround the color staffs. This too was changed inWorld War I in favor of small ribbons bearingbattle names. The Coast Guard adopted battlestreamers in 1968 following the practice established by the U.S. Marine Corps.

Streamers are attached to the Coast Guardstandard, replacing cords and tassels. They arecarried in all ceremonies representing heroic actions in all naval encounters from 1798 to theVietnam War and beyond. Only major head-quarters commands may display a complete set ofbattl e streamers. Individual units may only display those they have earned. The Coast Guardhas authorized a total of 3 batt le streamers.

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Battle StreamersFrench Naval War Light blue with two groupings of red, white and blue stripes

War of 1812 Scarlet with two white stripes

Indian War Scarlet with two black stripes

Mexican War Green with one white stripe

Civil War Blue and gray, equal ly divided

Spanish campaign Yellow with two blue stripes

World War I Victory Double rainbow

China Service Yellow with two red stripes

Yangtze Service Blue with two groupings of yellow and red stripes

American Defense Service Yellow with two groupings of red, white and blue stripes

American Campaign Blue with two groupings of white, black, red and white stripes;with red, white and blue stripes in center

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Green and brown with two-stripe groupings;one of green, white and red and the other of white,black and white stripes; white and red stripes in the center.

Croix e Guerre, French, World War II Red with four green stripes

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Orange with two white, red and white stripe groupings;with blue, white and red stripes in center.

Philippine Defense Red with two white stripes

Philippine Liberation Red with one blue and one white stripe

Presidential Unit Citation Blue, gold, red

Philippine Independence Blue with yellow border stripes and red, white, red center grouping.

Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Red, white and blue

World War II Victory Red with rainbow border grouping s and two white stripes

Navy Occupation Service Red and black, equally divided on white

Korean Service Light blue bordered on each side with white; white center stripe.

Navy Unit Commendation Green with two groupings of blue, yellow and red stripes.

National Defense Service Red with yellow center and two groupin gs of white, blue, white stripes.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Light blue with border groupings of green, yellow, brown and black;red, white and blue center groupings.

Vietnam Service Yellow, with green borders, three red stripes

Meritorious Unit Commendation Army, Saigon) Scarlet

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Green with two groupin gs of yellow, blue and yellow and red center

RVN Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation, Red with gold center and eight double red stripes with palmGallantry Cross with Palm

RVN Meritorious Unit Citation, Green with red edges and two red stripes in center and palmCivil Actions Medal First Class Color, with Palm

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T h e Ancientlbatross

The Ancient Albatross award honors theCoast Guard aviator on active duty who has heldthat designation for the longest time. The awardis in the form of a large bronze and woodedplaque on which the names of the recipients areinscribed.

V ADM Howard B Thorsen became the 13thAncient Albatross in 1990 when V ADM ClydeE Robbins passed on the title.

ADeM James T Woltz became the first enlisted Ancient Albatross after accepting the title ina ceremony at the Aviation Technical TrainingCenter in Elizabeth City, N.C., June 8, 1990.The enlisted Ancient Albatross is a newly created award.

Former Ancien t Albatross,VADM DeeseThompson, passed the title to RADM Nelson ina 1988 ceremony at the Aviation TrainingCenter in Mobile, Ala. After landing theirrespective H-3 helicopters, they were taxied tothe podium in a 1929 Model A. The traditionalleather flight jacket, goggles, leather helmet andlong white scarf were passed onto the new

Albatross. In this ceremony, V ADM Thompsonreflected back on his many years of flying:To all the men and women in Coast Guard

Aviation who serve this nation so well, salute youand wish you the same great times and experienceshave shared with the finest outfits in the world.

What's it like when you close the throttle and theengine sighs for the last time? It's delicious pain.Happily you have survived. Unhappily, those joy-ous airborne moments are no more. You won't missthe rain-swept approaches on dark and worrisomenights. But you will miss the subdued exhilaration

o breaking into clear blue from a cloud-shroudedclimbout. You won't miss the endless nights at seaor duty nights away from home. But there will be asubstitute for those marvelous moments when thefamiliar cutter or runaway profile comes into viewand you key the mike to report, in sight?

Life is a compromise. And for every beginningthere is an ending. But the knowledge o havingbeen part o Coast Guard aviation soothes. The

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memories must now be shelved in the archives of themind Hopefully they will be retrieved to an appre-ciative listener now and then. There are no regretsfor that delicious pain. You have been there on thewing o the high and mighty, and you would nothave had it any other way.


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Far left VADM D.C.Thompson in the tradi-tional Albatross gear.Left VADM Clyde ERobbins at Air StationSan Francisco. BelowVADM D.C. Thompsonoutfits RADM Ed Nelsonin the Albatross gear.

The Ancient Albatrossesfficer

1965 VADM W O Shields1966 RADM C Tighe1970 ADM C.R. Bender1974 CDR W.R. Goldhammer1975 RADM C.A. Richmond Jr1977 ADCMAP J.P. Greathouse1979 CAPT W O Harvey1979 RADM C.E. Larkin1984 RADM F P Shubert1985 VADM D.C. Thompson1988 RADM E Nelson Jr.1989 VADM C.E. Robbins1990 VADM H.B. Thorsen

Enlisted1990 ADCM J T Woltz

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T h e Ancientariner

HSCM Clarence Sheffield, left relieves QMCMClarence Dowden as enlisted Ancient Mariner in 1988.

Te Ancient Mariner is a ceremonial

title given to the officer and enlistedperson with the earliest date of qualification as a cutterman. The cutter-

man designation comes after five years of sea-service but the person must have a minimum of 10years sea-duty to qualify for the award.

The ncient MarinersOfficers1980 CAPT Axel J. Hagstrom1984 CAPT Delmar F Smith1984 RADM William H. Stewart1985 CAPT John R. Hearn1987 CAPT James D. Webb1987 CAPT Eugene E. E. O Donnell1988 RADM Richard P Cueroni1989 ADM Paul Yost Jr.1990 LCDR Melville B. Guttormsen

Enlisted1980 QMCM Clarence E. Dowden1988 HSCM Clarence Sheffield1989 QMC Frank Albright, Jr.

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Former enlisted Ancient Mariner HSCM ClarenceSheffield pins the epaulets onto former officerAncient Mariner ADM Paul Yost in 1989.

The Ancient Mariner is charged with keepinga close watch to ensure the sea-service traditionis continued and that the time-honored reputation of the Coast Guard is maintained.

During the ceremony, the new Ancien tMariner dons the traditional Ancient Marinergarb consisting of a "fore and aft" style hat, goldbraided shoulder epaulets, a Revenue Cutter logbook and a nautical long glass.

LCDR Melville B Guttormsen became theninth officer Ancient Mariner. He relievedCoast Guard Commandant ADM Paul Yost whoretired after 39 years of service in 1990.

QMC Frank Albright, Jr., became the thirdenlisted Ancient Mariner in 1989. Albrigh t is a34-year veteran with almost a decade and a halfof sea time spent aboard seven cutters. The newenlisted Ancient Mariner took over from retiring

HSCM Clarence Sheffield who retired after 40years. The Ancient Mariner award is a plaqueetched with a design of the first cut ter

assachusetts bearing the names of both enlistedand officers who have held the award.

T h e Ancien t Mariner and the Ancien tAlbatross are both honors that exemplify theCoast Guard tradition of longetivity in the service. When the recipients retire, the awards arepassed down to the next in line.


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From top to bottom TheAncient Mariner plaque. ADM Paul Yost passes the

Ancient Albatross hat and titleto LCDR Melville BGuttormsen. HSCMClarence Sheffield left andQMC Frank Albright admiretheir ceremonial cakes.

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Dining nand Mess

NightThe tradition of Dining In, or Mess Night,

can be traced to the days when the RomanLegions held great banquets to celebrate theirvictories or paraded the prizes of their conquests.The Vikings had a tradition of celebrating greatbattles and feats by formal ceremony. t is fromthese customs of celebrating special events thatwe have formal dinners today.

The Dining In is a formal dinner function forthe officers of a military organization or unit.Originally, such functions provided an excellentsetting to recognize both individual and unitachievements, as well as to bid farewell todeparting officers and welcome new ones.Today, they are primarily an occasion to gathersocially at a formal function. But the protocoland traditional amenities remain intact.

The Chief Petty Officer Academy continuesthe tradition calling it Chiefs' Mess Night.Chiefs' Mess Night is a formal military function,

like the Dining In, but the Mess Members areChiefs and guests. It provides an occasion forChiefs to meet socially and give recognition to adignitary, individual or unit. t also may simplybe a pleasant way for individuals to become bet-ter acquainted.

In early eighteenth century Europe, variousregiments of the established monarchies wouldgather for an evening of good food, drinking andfellowship to honor individuals and organiza-tions. More recently this custom can be tracedto the messes of the Royal Navy andRegimental Messes of the British Army. Ourearly leaders gained background and trainingfrom either British regulars or colonial militia inthe French and Indian Wars. It is most likelythat they became indoctrinated in the formalaspects of military life s practiced by the men ofthat period.

Prior to World War II, Mess Night hadreached its greatest prominence. While theoccasion became less of a celebration for individ-ual achievements, the protocol became more for-malized. The uniforms prescribed were eveningdress with medals. Down through the ages, peo-ple have enjoyed each other's company at dinnermaking them more elaborate and formal.

Dining In and Mess In are strictly for mili-tary people, while Mess Out and Dining Out arefor military s well s invited guests.

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Far left Coast Guard personneland their guest s make a toast dur-ing a Dining Out at PetalumaCalif. There are usually about 1formal toasts following the light-ing of the smoking lamp.Left The traditional lighting ofthe smoking lamp is carried out.People are not permitted tosmoke until the lamp has beenlighted.Below The wardroom of thelighthouse tender Greenbriar

illustrates the elegance of thisgrand old ship. This tender wasbuilt in 1924 and serviced aids onthe Miss issipp i River.

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Masco t s

of the seaAnimals and birds have served s mascots onboard Coast Guard vessels since the early days ofthe Revenue Cutter Service. The practice ofkeeping pets may have started when cats werebrought on board to combat the rat population.But for years, pets have helped keep the crew'smorale high during their many lonely days at sea.

During the first half of this century, nearlyevery ship had at least one mascot and some had

menageries that were the envy of a small zoo.Capt Mike Healy, commanding officer of theRevenue Cutter Bear kept his parrot on boardfor company. Dogs have been the most commonof mascots, though, and one of the most famousw s Sinbad.

Sinbad served on board the cutter Campbellduring World War II He came on board theship in 1937 when Campbell made a port call inPortugal. Sinbad remained on the ship through-out the war.

A salty sea dog all the way, Sinbad stood

watches, ate his meals and slept with the crew.Everytime the Campbell would make a port calland liberty was granted Sinbad would be thefirst off and along with his shipmates hit thebars. A typical liberty would see him marchright into a bar, spot an empty bar stool, jump onit and bark once. The bartenders would auto-matically pour a shot of whiskey with a beerchaser. Sinbad would lap them up, jump downand leave, heading for the next bar. His tab wasalways picked up, no questions asked. Sinbadwas s much a part of the Campbell s his two-legged shipmates. His cont ributions to that shipwere incalculable in terms of the morale boosthe provided. To his shipmates, he was their tal-isman, their good luck charm, that brought themthrough battles with submarines, storms and theterrible North Atlantic ice.

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Clockwise from upper far left:Sinbad, mascot o the cutterCampbell. Piped over theside or the last time is retiringmascot o the cutter KlamathMaxmillian Talisman, Bo s nMate Chief. Max served onboard the Klamath or all of hisseven years. Captain MikeHealy with his parrot on boardthe cutter Bear. Popular

orthwind mascot, Oliver.

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traditions -200 years of history

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