African-Americans in the U.S. Coast Guard
A Historic Photo Gallery
Captain "Hell Roaring" Mike Healy, USRCS
Captain Healy was the first commissioned African-American officer of the United States Government and the first to command a U.S. warship.
No official caption/photo number/date; probably 1890s.
Captain Richard Etheridge, USLSS
Richard Etheridge and his Pea Island Life-Saving Station crew in 1896. Etheridge was the first African-American keeper (keepers were referred to as "Captain") of a U.S. Life-Saving Station and he commanded the only all African-American crew in the U.S. Etheridge is on the far left.
No official caption/photo number/date; probably 1896.
USS Yocona, CG
Original caption reads: "USS Yocona, CG, stern-wheeler at Vicksburg, 1925. E. Zoole, LTjg, Commanding."; no photo number; photo by "Moore."
The officers and crew of the CGC Yocona at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1925. Her commanding officer, LTJG E. Zoole, USCG, is seated on the far left of the first row. Note the number of African-Americans among the crew.
Lieutenant (Junior
Grade) Joseph C. Jenkins, USCGR
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Clarence Samuels, USCGR
LTJG Joseph C. Jenkins (left) and LTJG Clarence Samuels (right) on board the USS Sea Cloud, CG, in 1943. They were the first African-American Coast Guard officers--a full year before the US Navy commissioned any African-Americans.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
USS Sea Cloud, CG
The Sea Cloud was the first U.S. warship that was fully integrated--an experiment conducted during World War II to determine the feasibility of integrating crews. The experiment proved to be successful.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Pea Island, North Carolina
Coast Guard Station Pea Island as it appeared during World War II. This station was manned entirely by African-Americans.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Boatswain's Mate First Class Maxie Berry, Sr., USCG
Chief Boatswain's Mate Maxie Berry, Sr., USCG, was the Officer in Charge of the historic Pea Island Station, NC, in the early 1940's. BMC Berry was one of 22 members of his family that have served their country in the U.S. Life-Saving Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Berry's father, Joseph H. Berry, joined the Life-Saving Service in 1897.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Boatswain's Mate First Class Maxie Berry, Sr., USCG
BM 1/c Maxie Berry, Sr., USCG, the Officer in Charge of the historic Pea Island Station, uses a speaking trumpet during a training exercise at Pea Island Station in the early 1940's. Berry was one of 22 members of his family that have served their country in the U.S. Life-Saving Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Berry's father, Joseph H. Berry, joined the Life-Saving Service in 1897.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Boatswain's Mate First Class Maxie Berry, Sr., USCG
BM1c Maxie Berry, Sr., Officer in Charge of the historic Pea Island Station, scans the seas near the Pea Island Station in the early 1940's. Berry was one of 22 members of his family that have served their country in the U.S. Life-Saving Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Berry's father, Joseph H. Berry, joined the Life-Saving Service in 1897.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Surfman Fleetwood M. Dunston, USCG
Surfman Fleetwood M. Dunston of the Pea Island Coast Guard Station signals "Aid is Coming" during a training exercise.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Surfman Ruben Gallop, USCG
Surfman Ruben Gallop patrols the beach at the Pea Island Lifeboat Station during World War II. Note the flashlight he is carrying for signalling.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Surfman Lonnie C. Gray, USCG
Surfman Lonnie C. Gray of the Pea Island Station pulls at an oar in the station's surfboat.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Boatswain's Mate First Class Lonnie C. Gray, USCG
Original caption reads: "Blinking signals from the Lookout Tower at Pea Island identify friendly craft. Lonnie C. Gray, B.M. 1c is shown on the alert."
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Surfman Herbert M. Collins, USCG
Surfman Herbert M. Collins, a member of the Pea Island Lifesaving crew who served there during World War II.
Courtesy of his daughter, Ms. Joan Collins.
Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Pea Island Crew
Left to Right: BM1/c Maxie Berry; Surfman Lonnie C. Gray; Surfman Ruben Gallop; unidentified (Surfman Fleetwood M. Dunston?); Surfman Herbert M. Collins.
No photo number/date; probably 1942.
Surfman Herbert M. Collins, USCG
A portrait of Surfman Herbert M. Collins, a member of the Pea Island Lifesaving crew who served there during World War II.
Courtesy of his daughter, Ms. Joan Collins.
Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Pea Island Crew
Official caption reads: "Coast Guard crew making ready their surfboat at the all-Negro Coast Guard Lifeboat Station at Pea Island, N.C."
No date/photo number; photographer unknown. Probably 1942.
Chief Boatswain's Mate Cecil B. Foster, USCG
CBM Cecil B. Foster, O.I.C. of Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Tiana from 1942-1944.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Kenneth Sutherland.
Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Tiana
Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Tiana, circa 1943. This station was manned by an African-American crew during World War II.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Kenneth Sutherland.
1943 World War II honor guard for RADM L.T. Shaller, the Assistant Commandant, during the celebration of the Coast Guard's 153rd Anniversary, in Boston.
No photo number; photographer unknown; dated 1943.
Chief Warrant Officer Oliver T. Henry, USCG
CWO Oliver T. Henry, USCG, through his relentless pursuit to serve the Coast Guard as a skilled petty officer on board the USS Northland, CG during World War II, successfully moved from the wardroom as a steward to the engine-room as a motor-machinist's mate, one of the first (if not the first) African-Americans to do so.
No photo number/date; photographer unknown.
Alexander Palmer Haley, USCG
Alex Haley had a path-breaking career
in the Coast Guard and became a world- renowned author.
No official caption/photo
number/date; photographer unknown.
Stewardsmate First Class Charles Walter David, Jr., USCG
Stewardsmate First Class Charles Walter David, Jr., was an African American Coast Guardsman who served on board the cutter Comanche during World War II. When the Comanche came to the aid of the survivors of the torpedoed transport Dorchester in the cold waters off Greenland, David volunteered to dive overboard to help rescue those in need--practicing the newly devised "rescue retriever" technique. David repeatedly dived overboard in the frigid water to save several men. He even saved the life of the Comanche's executive officer, LT Robert W. Anderson, who was also attempting to save survivors, when Anderson became unable to pull himself out of the water due to exposure. David died a few days later from hypothermia contracted during his heroic efforts to save the stricken survivors of the Dorchester and LT Anderson. He was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery.
No photo number/date; photographer
unknown.
Photo was part of his personnel jacket now at the
National Archives.
Julie Moselsy Pole,
USCGR
Winifred Byrd, USCGR
SPAR recruits Julie Moselsy Pole, on the left; Winifred Byrd, on the right. They were the first African-American women in the Coast Guard.
No official caption/photo number/date; photographer unknown.
An unidentified Coast Guardsman standing watch on board a cutter in World War II.
No official caption/photo number/date; photographer unknown.
A 20mm gun crew, partially manned by African-American Coast Guardsmen, fires on enemy aircraft during World War II.
No official caption/photo number/date; photographer unknown.
An unidentified African-American Coast Guardsmen is awarded a Purple Heart sometime during World War II.
No official caption/photo number/date; photographer unknown.
James W. Parks (seen in the photo above during his retirement ceremony) became the first African-American Gunner's Mate in the Coast Guard when he made GM3/c on 16 April 1949. He became the first Coast Guard African-American Chief Gunner's Mate when he was promoted to GMC on 1 November 1956 and the first African-American Senior Chief Gunner's Mate on 1 April 1965. He retired from the Coast Guard after twenty years honorable service in 1967.
Courtesy of his son, Brian Green.
A recruiting photo from the early 1970s.
No official caption/photo number/date; photographer unknown.
Lieutenant Herbert M. Collins, USCG
A portrait of LT Herbert M. Collins, USCG (Ret.), the last living veteran of Pea Island. LT Collins was also a cousin of the Berrys, also of Pea Island fame.
Courtesy of his daughter, Ms. Joan Collins.
LT Herbert M. Collins (far right) walks with two of the Berrys: on the far left is LT Maxie M. Berry and in the center is ENC Oscar Berry.
Courtesy of the daughter of LT Collins, Ms. Joan Collins.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Vincent Patton III, USCG
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard [MCPOCG], Vincent Patton III, was the first African-American MCPOCG of the Coast Guard. He was appointed in 1998 and served until his retirement in 2002. The MCPOCG served as the Commandant's personnel advisor and assistant in matters affecting the enlisted members of the Coast Guard, both active and reserve, and their families. The MCPOCG is the most senior enlisted member of the Coast Guard, with the pay grade designation of E-10.
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Jeanine McIntosh, USCG
On 24 June 2005 LTJG Jeanine McIntosh was awarded her wings at a ceremony at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, after completing her flight training there. She is the first African-American female Coast Guard aviator.