William Thiesen
Oliver Henry - Warrior, Leader, Trailblazer
In the U.S. Coast Guard, there are thousands of highly motivated men and women doing extraordinary things. This kind of individual...
The 75th Anniversary of the Loss of USS Serpens
"I felt and saw two flashes after which only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated and the bow sank soo...
40th Anniversary of the Loss of the Buoy Tender Blackthorn
One of forty 180-foot buoy tenders built during World War II, Blackthorn (WLB-391) was commissioned on March 27, 1944. The princip...
C.W. Lawrence, Tamer of America’s Maritime Frontier
"When it is remembered that you have been in a harbor where from five to six hundred vessels were riding at anchor—in t...
Christmas 1944: The Liberation of Leyte
"People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soi...
Early African-American Service: First to Serve, First to Sacrifice
African Americans comprise the longest serving minority in the United States Coast Guard. They were the first to serve and, in man...
Joseph Toahty, Pawnee Warrior of Guadalcanal
I am very pleased to forward a Purple Heart Medal and Certificate to you for service at Guadalcanal in August of 1942. Men such as...
The U.S. Coast Guard's First Ice Ships and Icebreakers
During the Age of Sail, the seasonal pattern of icebound winters froze-in merchant vessels and reduced the wintertime demand for r...
Jack Cullen, Nazi Spies and the Founding of the USCG Beach Patrol
"His keen presence of mind and discerning judgment in a grave emergency undoubtedly prevented the successful culmination of h...
The Cutter Bear and the Arctic Expedition to Save 265 Whalers
"If you are subjected to miserable discomforts, or even if you suffer, it must be regarded as all right and simply a part of...