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Story and photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Anastasia Devlin, PADET San Diego As he looked at the child-size blue uniform, he smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "No," said Jake, eyes wide. "Put it on!" said his mom, encouragingly. Five minutes later, 8-year-old "Chief" Jake walked back into the Coast Guard rescue swimmer shop looking like one of the team, albeit wearing sneakers and looking two feet shorter. Taking time to pose for pictures with the young men in uniforms that looked just like his, Jake, a Sacramento native, smiled wider and wider. His perfect day as a member of team Coast Guard had gotten off to a perfect start. Jake was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy two years ago, and thanks to some coordination by a friend of his mother's and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his wish to spend a day with the Coast Guard was carried out by Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan MacLane. "He told us he wants to be in the Coast Guard when he grows up," said Jackie Gaster, Jake's Make-A-Wish coordinator. MacLane, an electrician's mate at Coast Guard Sector San Diego, got together with various people around the base to make Jake's day special. As more and more people heard Jake's story, the opportunities and excitement on base grew. When the boy and his family arrived at Sector Oct. 24, they were met at the gate by MacLane, and immediately taken to the rescue swimmer offices. There, Jake's uniform (donated by one of the smallest petty officers on base) was receiving some final touches -- name tags, aviator wings, cuttermens' insignia, and chief anchors for the collar. As he and his family were introduced to the rescue swimmers, the acting Sector San Diego commander, Danny LeBlanc, walked through the door. Cmdr. LeBlanc shook hands with Jake and presented him with a challenge coin and Sector patch. Of course, more pictures followed after the rescue swimmers added the new patch (and a rescue swimmer patch) to his uniform. As Jake was shown some of the rescue swimmers' equipment, he anxiously eyed the small, blue uniform with his name on it. Even the glow sticks (used for night operations) he was given couldn't steal the thunder of becoming one of the crew for the day. "I think he was shocked by the uniform," said MacLane, remembering how Jake looked when he walked back into the shop, smiling brightly. "It made him feel part of the crew." Happily, he and his entourage of family and two dozen hovering Coast Guardsmen toured the hangars and helicopters. He sat in the front seat of the helicopter, touching the controls Next, he moved to the office of Master Chief Jeffrey Sherman, officer in charge of the Coast Guard Cutter Petrel, a 87-foot patrol boat stationed at Sector San Diego. He was presented with a baseball cap with "Petrel" inscribed on it, and chiefs' insignia pinned to the front. Together, Jake (standing just over four feet tall) and master chief (standing well over six feet) walked across the flight line and down the ramp to the rescue boats, followed by a growing parade of family and Coast Guardsmen. In the lead, one short and one tall, both in blue uniforms, Jake and the master chief walked out across the floating dock to the long, white ship. There, Sherman introduced Jake to his crew in blue, who were manning the rails to meet the little boy. Each of the 12 crew members extended a hand to Jake, who shook it as he smiled up at them. After a quick safety brief, Jake mounted the ladder to the bridge of the vessel, where he was handed the radio to make the announcement over the loudspeakers to cast of the lines -- it was time to get underway!
After he watched a demonstration of Petrel's deployable rescue vessel, the crew joined Jake and his family on the mess deck for the lunch of his choice -- Chinese food and chocolate cake -- prepared just for him by Petrel's chef. As the ship returned to Sector's docks, it became evident that the day's excitement had caught up with Jake, as well as his little sister and brother. Tired and happy, he and his family thanked the Petrel and headed up to the Coast Guard's on-base exchange for a few more souvenirs before heading out. "Everybody stepped up -- the rescue swimmers, Petrel's crew -- everyone came together to make it happen," said MacLane. "The joy that that child felt is going to be something he will remember for a long time to come," said Gaster. Jake's perfect day was complete, and even the Coast Guard members couldn't help walking away with a smile. -uscg-
Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. _______________________________________ PA1 Anastasia M. Devlin, Supervisor |
and buttons as he was personally briefed by the head of operations for Sector San Diego.
As Jake made his way around the Petrel on a tour of the compartments, each of the cutter's men and women made a special effort to include him in what they did on board the vessel every day. Soon, he returned to the bridge to try his hand at the throttles, taking his family on a tour of the San Diego harbor. He marveled as they went under the famous Coronado Bridge, and he waved up at the pilots as a formation of two Jayhawk helicopters conducted fly-over.