Coast Guard Monuments & Memorials 

A list of Coast Guard monuments & memorials around the country and around the world -- first compiled and published by The Reservist Magazine (May & June 1996 issues).  It is preserved here in honor of all past, present and future Coast Guardsmen.

Memorials not listed in the article below:

Douglas Munro Memorial
Pr Cruz Yacht Club, Guadalcanal

USS Tampa, CG, Memorial
Gibraltar
There is a memorial plaque on Gibraltar honoring the USS Tampa, CG, which was sunk by a German U-boat during World War I with a loss of all hands while serving as a convoy escort.  The cutter was based at Gibraltar during the war.  The memorial was dedicated on 4 August 1934.

Mack Memorial
Station Chatham, MA
There is a monument next to Coast Guard Station Chatham that commemorates the attempted rescue of the crew of the barge Wadena off Monomoy Island on 17 March 1902 in which seven USLSS surfmen perished in the line of duty.

USCGC Ingham
Patriot's Point Museum, Charleston, SC
In accordance with a directive from the Commandant's Office,   is the official memorial site to Coast Guardsmen killed in action in World War II and Vietnam.  The list of casualties is kept on the quarterdeck.

San Jacinto Coast Guard Memorial
San Jacinto, California
An 18-foot replica of the Fenwick Lighthouse in Druding Park serves as a memorial to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT

Rescue Flotilla 1 (The "Matchbox Fleet") Memorial
Poole, England
Along the harborside at Poole, England, on June 6, 1994, a plaque was dedicated to the men of Coast Guard Rescue Flotilla 1.  The inscription reads: "From this Quay, 60 cutters of the United States Coast Guard Rescue Flotilla 1 departed for the Normandy Invasion, 6 June 1944.  These 83 foot boats, built entirely of wood, and the 840 crewmembers were credited with saving the lives of 1437 men and 1 woman.  In remembrance of the service of Rescue Flotilla 1, and with appreciation of the kindnesses of the people of Poole to the crews, this Plaque is given by the men and women of the United States Coast Guard."

Coast Guard at Normandy Memorial
Utah Beach, Normandy, France
On June 6, 1994, the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association dedicated a plaque to those Coast Guard veterans who served at the invasion of Normandy.  The plaque's inscription reads: "Dedicated this 6th day of June, 1994, to the members of the United States Coast Guard who participated in the initial invasion of Normandy, especially to those who gave their lives here, and to all United States Coast Guard forces who served world wide on land, sea and air during WWII.  The nations of the world shall long remember Normandy; the United States armed forces, their allies and the cost of freedom at this place.  The United States Coast Guard motto is, as always, 'Semper Paratus' Always Ready".

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Colleville-sur-Mer, France
This U.S. national cemetery near Normandy is the final resting place of seven Coast Guardsmen:

Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial
Brittany, France
This U.S. national cemetery in Brittany is the final resting place of one Coast Guardsman:

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial
Nettuno, Italy
This U.S. national cemetery near Anzio is the final resting place of one Coast Guardsman:

North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial
Carthage, Tunisia
This U.S. national cemetery near Normandy is the final resting place of 18 Coast Guardsmen:

A "Monumental" Task -- Part I

Each year from Memorial Day to Independence Day, our nation remembers its heritage and military heroes with ceremonies and celebrations.  In addition, monuments from coast to coast testify to Americans' heroic but often forgotten deeds.  Unfortunately, some of these monuments are also forgotten.  One such example that I had never heard of but stumbled upon in 1993, is the Alaska Veterans Memorial on George Parks Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks. There, in the Alaskan wilderness, was a unique concrete memorial - five massive sculpted upright concrete slabs honoring each branch of our Armed Forces.  So, knowing there were more monuments out there like this, The Reservist has been advertising for Coast Guard Monuments Across the USA since December 1995.  In addition to contacting every district's public affairs office, we asked you, our readers, to submit USCG monuments from your local area - from your hometown village squares, cemeteries and local Coast Guard units. I found that "ask and you shall receive" was an understatement as I compiled a list of over 50 Coast Guard monuments. Even though our reader response was outstanding, I know there are probably more Coast Guard monuments out there that were not submitted or that we do not know about. Nevertheless, because I didn't want to cram all 50 plus monuments into a few pages with tiny photos, I decided to publish this special monuments feature over two issues. And so, Part I of "Coast Guard Monuments Across the USA" are primarily monuments on the east coast. Next month, we'll include the rest of the monument submissions.
- Edward J. Kruska
PA1, USCGR, Editor, May, 1996

USCG Bicentennial Monument
Newburyport, MA
 This monument was dedicated by the City of Newburyport, Mass. on Aug. 4, 1989, in anticipation of the celebration of the 200th birthday of the Coast Guard. In attendance was then-Commandant ADM Paul Yost, the Secretary of Transportation, the First District Commander and a host of dignitaries. 
Newburyport is the birthplace of the Coast Guard. The first Revenue Cutter Massachusetts was launched upriver at MacKay Shipyard, not far from where this monument stands on the waterfront behind the maritime museum. 
- William V. McGoldrick
Hampton, N.H. 

John Foster William Headstone
Boston, MA
 While following Boston's "Freedom Trail" a few years ago, my family was exploring the Old Granery Burying Ground on Tremont Street and happened upon the grave of John Foster Williams. He was selected by George Washington to command the first U.S. Revenue Cutter Massachusetts. The Federal Building that houses the First Coast Guard District is named in his honor. 
- Lisa M. Kruska 
Alexandria, Va. 

American Seaplane NC-4 Plaque
Plymouth, MA
 The Coast Guard shares a unique place in aviation, American and world history. A plaque placed at the Plymouth harbor by the Borough of Plymouth says: This tablet was erected by the Plymouth Borough Council to commemorate the arrival on the 31st day of May 1919 of the American Seaplane NC-4, in Plymouth Sound, on the completion of the first transatlantic flight, and the reception by the mayor of Plymouth of the Commander Pilots and crew on their landing at the Barbican. 

So what does this have to do with the Coast Guard? Among the six-man crew making the first transatlantic flight was LT Elmer F. Stone, first Coast Guard Aviator, and one of two pilots aboard the NC-4 that landed in Plymouth, England. Stone is not identified with a USCG after his name although four of the six crew have USN after their names. ENS H.C. Rood, also aboard, was not listed as either USN or USCG but as radio operator. 
- CAPT Ken Depperman, USCG (Ret.) 
Scituate, Mass. 

Mount Tom Monument
Holyoke, MA
 On July 9, 1946, a B-17 Bomber with 25 servicemen, including 16 Coast Guardsmen, returning from Goose Bay, Labrador, to Westover Air Force Base slammed into Mount Tom in Holyoke, located in western Massachusetts. All aboard perished. The crash site went unmarked until 1994 when someone piled rocks there as a memorial. Local resident Norman Cote noticed the rock memorial and persuaded local officials to establish a permanent monument. And so, 50 years after the tragedy, a monument is being constructed at the crash site. A 50th anniversary memorial service and monument dedication is scheduled for Saturday, July 6, 1996, 11 a.m. at Mount Tom. Watch next month's Reservist for a feature on the Mount Tom crash. For more information, contact: Robert P. Cahillane, Veterans' Services Agent, City of Northampton, B-17 Memorial Committee, 240 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060-3113. (413) 586-6950. FAX (413) 586-3726. 
-CAPT Tom O'Hara, USCGR (Ret.) 
Wayland, Mass. 

Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT

USCG World War II Monument
New York, NY
 A Coast Guard World War II monument is located in Lower Manhatten's Battery Park in New York City, near the ferry that takes Coasties to Governors Island. Every Memorial Day for at least the last 20 years, USCG American Legion Post No. 719, along with Coast Guardsmen from Governors Island, have had a ceremony here for our fallen Coast Guardsmen. Last year, this monument made the front page of the N.Y. Daily News around Memorial Day. The monument cost $18,000 when completed in the late 1940s. The sculptor was CPO Norman Thomas, USCG. Contractor was National Sculpture Services of New York. 
- CDR William J. Farrell, USCGR (Ret.) 
Bayside, N.Y. 

Dimitri Fedotoff White Headstone
Valley Forge, PA
 Though the modern port security unit came into being in the early 1980s, the PSU concept can actually be traced back to WWII. Early in the war, the threat of sabotage and enemy subversive action was strong. Something had to be done. Enter Dimitri Fedotoff White and Donald F. Jenks, who co-developed plans for a Volunteer Port Security Force (VPSF) at Captain of the Port (COTP) Philadelphia. Following implementation of the White-Jenks plan in 1942, more than a thousand volunteers performed security functions on the docks, wharves and waterfront in support of the war effort. The largest port security force in the U.S., Philadelphia's efforts were soon imitated by other COTPs.   Dimitri Fedotoff White, born in Kronstadt, Russia Oct. 27, 1889 - emigrated to the U.S. following World War I during which he had served as a lieutenant commander in the Russian Imperial Navy, and as a lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. White is mentioned in Malcolm Willoughby's The U.S. Coast Guard in WWII. White died Nov. 21, 1950 and is buried at Valley Forge National Park's Washington Memorial Chapel outside Philadelphia. My father, Brig. Gen. Richard Stinson, is rector of the chapel and is shown in the photo at left. 
- By PSC Peter A. Stinson, USCGR 
Portsmouth, Va. 

Douglas A. Munro and World War II Monuments
Coast Guard Training Center, Cape May, NJ
 A visitor to the Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May, N.J. can find at least two monuments to Coast Guard heroes. Douglas A. Munro, the Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor recipient is honored near Munro Hall with a statue that was dedicated in November, 1989. Also, Coast Guardsmen who served in World War II are remembered on the plaza outside the physical fitness complex with a replica of the monument in New York's Battery Park (see above left). Also at Cape May, one can find the ship's bell from the decommissioned CGC Cherokee, located in front of the base administration building. This bell was obtained recently and replaced a U.S. Lighthouse Service bell. 
- CWO3 Bill Carson 
TRACEN Cape May, N.J.
- MK1 Ralph Maddocks 
USCGR, Pennsville, N.J. 

WWII Patrol Frigate Monument
Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay, MD
 Patrol frigates were conceived as all-purpose gunships and their design was a refinement of the British "River Class" frigate. They were 308-feet long and performed convoy escort, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), shore support fire, anti-aircraft (AA) screen and ocean station duties in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters of Operation during World War II. Fifteen thousand Coast Guard personnel crewed 75 WWII patrol frigates. Patrol frigates were well-armed, with three three-inch 50-caliber deck guns, two twin-40 mm Bofors and eight single 20-mm Oerlikons for AA screen. ASW weapons included a Hedgehog mortar, eight depth charge throwers, two depth charge racks aft and a ram bow. Typical wartime crew size totalled about 200. Not one of them was lost during the war, attesting to the seamanship skills, leadership and combat readiness of the Coast Guard officers and men who sailed in them. In addition to the one shown here (yes, that's me pointing to the USS Orange [PF-43], which I served aboard as a Watertender Fireman in 1945-46), there are two other monuments to the patrol frigates dedicated by the Patrol Frigate Reunion Association - one at Alameda, Calif. and another will be dedicated at the CG Academy on Sept. 6, 1996 by members of the PFRA during their annual reunion in Boston. 
CAPT George L. Sutton, USCGR (Ret.) 

United States Navy Memorial
Washington, DC 
 The Coast Guard is honored on one of the 22 bronze relief plaques at the U.S. Navy Memorial, located on Pennsylvania Avenue (below) in our nation's capital. The 36-by-32 inch relief (right) shows the Coast Guard doing what it does best - making rescues at sea of civilian sailors and recreational boaters in distress. This bronze relief was sponsored by past and present members of the Coast Guard, with contributions from the Chief Petty Officers Association and other private donors. 
- CAPT Thomas Coldwell, USN (Ret.) 
U.S. Navy Memorial 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington, DC 
 Among the 58,196 names etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Wall) in our nation's capital are seven Coast Guardsman. The wall, dedicated in 1982, cost $8.5 million and is located adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial. It has become a major attraction for locals and visitors alike. The names, hometowns and other pertinent information of the seven Coast Guardsman are listed according to date of casualty. 
- Libby Hatch 

Coast Guardsmen Listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 
Name; Hometown; Rank; Rating; Age; Date of Death; Panel; Line

Navy and Marine Memorial
Arlington, VA 
 For many years, the "Navy and Marine Memorial Dedicated to Americans Lost at Sea" was referred to as the Coast Guard monument. The memorial was used as a backdrop for the Chief Petty Officers 75th birthday salute in the August 1995 Reservist (inset). It stands 35 feet tall and is 30 feet long, and was sculpted in aluminum by Ernest Begni del Piatta. It consists of seven sea gulls in flight above the crest of a wave and stands on a green granite base. Under an Act of Congress passed on Feb. 16, 1924, it was erected, without cost to the United States, by the Navy and Marine Memorial Association for $335,630. A Joint Resolution approved June 26, 1934, authorized the erection on public grounds in the city of Washington, D.C. Congress appropriated $13,000 for the transportation and placement of the monument, which was dedicated Oct. 18, 1934. The Report of the 68th Congress stated that "this memorial is intended as a monument to our national life on the sea and to be affectionately dedicated to the thousands of Americans who have gone down in the sea whose destiny is so closely linked with our naval and maritime services...." It also honors those who are still offering their lives in the performance of heroic deeds upon the waters of the world. The Coast Guard unveiled a plaque (left) here during the Coast Guard's Bicentennial in 1990. 
- CAPT John Bruce, USCG (Ret.) 
Bethesda, Md. 

Coast Guard Monument
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
 The Coast Guard monument at Arlington National Cemetery (Section 4), is made of white marble and is pyramid-shaped. It stands 12-feet high and was dedicated May 23, 1928 as a tribute to the Coast Guardsmen who lost their lives in World War I. The foundation and pyramid are suggestive of rocks standing in the sea along the coast, or marks of danger to navigation and represent the service ideals of steadfastness and endurance. The front of the monument has the USCG emblem on it and a sea gull, symbolic of the Coast Guard's watchful untiring spirit. The names of those in the Coast Guard who lost their lives in World War I are inscribed on the monument. The southeast side is dedicated to CGC Tampa, sunk by an enemy submarine in Bristol Channel Sept. 26, 1918. All 115 on board were lost. The northwest side is dedicated to CGC Seneca, which lost 11 Coast Guardsmen while endeavoring to salvage the torpedoed British Steamer Wellington in the Bay of Biscay Sept. 17, 1918. The architect was George Howe and the sculptor was Gaston Lachaise. Carved on the foundation: Thy Way Is In The Sea. 
- Arlington National Cemetery Historian 

USS Serpens Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
 When the Coast Guard-manned USS Serpens (AKA-97) exploded and sank Jan. 29, 1945 at Lunga Beach, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, it marked the largest single disaster suffered by the Coast Guard in World War II.  Only two survived the blast, while 250, including 193 Coast Guardsmen, were lost.  The Serpens Monument in Section 34 at Arlington is octagon-shaped and has inscribed upon it an alphabetical listing of the deceased servicemen's names, rank and branch of service.  It marks the second largest mass grave at Arlington.  At the monument dedication Nov. 16, 1950, VADM Merlin O'Neill, then-USCG Commandant remarked, "we cannot undo the past...but we can ensure...that these men shall be respected and honored forever." 
- CG Historian 

Waesche, Cowart, Hull Headstones
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
 Just a short walk from the pyramid-shaped Coast Guard Monument at Arlington are several graves of Coast Guard veterans.  Probably the most well-known Coast Guardsman buried there is ADM Russell R. Waesche, Commandant from 1936-1946. His wife, Agnes R. Waesche, is buried alongside him.  Also interred at Arlington is VADM Kenneth K. Cowart, who served as the last Coast Guard Chief Engineer from 1950-1958 and was laid to rest March 14, 1996.  His headstone says: "Coast Guard For'er."  Buried alongside him is his wife, Adah Hatch Cowart.  CG Reservist CAPT Earl B. Hull, 1881-1955, is also buried at Arlington alongside his wife, Althea B. Finn.  There are many other Coast Guardsmen buried at Arlington, which is currently compiling data on numbers of service members interred there from each branch of the military. 
- Reservist Magazine 

A "Monumental" Task -- Part II

We're back this month [June, 1996] with a continuation of our feature on "Coast Guard Monuments Across the USA." As I mentioned last month, our readers sent us over 50 USCG monument entries, and I decided to publish them over two issues. Part I depicted Coast Guard monuments primarily located in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. In this issue, you'll notice we move all around the nation, beginning with a few monuments from the north and midwest, move to the south and Gulf Coast and finally, go west!  We think you'll find some of the stories behind these monuments fascinating.  Our front cover this month, shown uncropped at left, was taken in 1991 (the CGR's 50th anniversary year) at the CGC Escanaba National Memorial Service in Grand Haven, Mich.  The service was held, as it is every year, during the week of Aug. 4 (the Coast Guard's birthday) at the annual Coast Guard Festival.  CGC Escanaba sank June 13, 1943, off southern Greenland with the loss of 101 crew...there were only two survivors.  It was the second worst loss of life suffered by the Coast Guard in World War II.  At far left is Escanaba survivor SN Ray O'Malley.  For those of you who contributed to this two-part feature on our CG monuments, thank you! 
Edward J. Kruska
PA1, USCGR, Editor

Ancient Order of Pterodactyl
Gloucester, MA 
The Ancient Order of Pterodactyl is a group of active and retired CG aviators and air crewmen. Their plaque, overlooking Gloucester Harbor, is attached to a large boulder and is a tribute to the first USCG air station. It reads: "In honor of the men who established Coast Guard aviation in May of 1925 on Ten Pound Island in Gloucester Harbor, home of the first continuously operating Coast Guard air station. Growth in operations and aircraft size forced a move to Salem, Mass. in 1935 and again to Cape Cod in 1970."
CPO Tom Guthlein
Station Gloucester, Mass. 

USCG Legacy Monuments
Governors Island, NY 
 As probably everyone has heard by now, the Coast Guard is departing Governors Island as part of streamlining. To commemorate the Coast Guard's 31-year stay on the New York harbor island, the Coast Guard recently placed four monuments at each compass point on the island. The west monument, shown at right, is a tribute to area lighthouses. The east monument is a WWI and WWII remembrance of USCG involvement in the N.Y. area, while the south monument honors those from New York who fought for our nation's freedom. Finally, the north monument, facing lower Manhattan, is a tribute to the "cradle of Coast Guard history," remembering Alexander Hamilton and our nation's First Congress, then-convened in N.Y. City, which passed legislation establishing the "Revenue Marine," Aug. 4, 1790. 
LT John Shallman
LANTAREA Public Affairs

Armed Forces Memorial
Wilson, NY 
 This monument is located at the Wilson Historical Museum in my village of Wilson, N.Y., a harbor village of 1,200 on Lake Ontario. I drill at Coast Guard Station Niagara, Youngstown, N.Y., 12 miles away. I know this monument is not entirely a Coast Guard monument, but you very rarely see an all-CG monument in small villages. Still, I am glad the Coast Guard was not left out as it has in others I've seen.
BM1 Gary S. Pettit
USCGR, Wilson, N.Y.

Faces of Freedom
Slovan, PA 
We thought you'd like to see what a little town in Pennsylvania did for its 16 heroes who were killed during World War I and II. The people of Slovan (located west of Pittsburgh) are very proud of their local heroes and monuments shown here. One of the 16 is Coast Guardsman Seaman 2nd Class Marko Yaksic (top row, fourth from left; inset at right). Yaksic, 20, was killed Sept. 25, 1942, during the invasion on Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands while aboard LST 167. He is buried in Hickory Cemetery. There is also a mural of our Faces of Freedom in our local VFW, Barto Post 6553 (left). My son, Mike Dugas, currently in the Coast Guard, is the sailor shown saluting the mural. It was created by Susan Renee Schott, an art teacher from nearby Burgettstown, Pa. 
Steve M. Dugas
Slovan, Pa. 

Ohio Historical Marker
Camp Perry, OH
 I'm one of the historians here at Camp Perry, Ohio, where the Coast Guard has done a lot of training for port security units. In October of 1995, we had an Ohio historical marker placed here at Camp Perry, within a stone's throw of Lake Erie. It reads, "Additionally, in 1990, United States Coast Guard Reservists trained here in preparation for the Persian Gulf War." The text for the marker was written by another Camp Perry historian, Virgil Gordon, which I then typed up. It was exciting to finally see the fruits of our labor.
Anna Bovia
Camp Perry, Ohio 

Armed Forces Monuments
Dearborn County, IN 
 Lawrenceburg, in southeastern Indiana, population 4,400, is the Dearborn County seat. Outside the courthouse are a number of monuments dedicated to our Armed Forces, including one dedicated to the Coast Guard (left). It reads: "Formed to guard the coasts against smugglers. They police shorelines and harbors, enforce navigation regulations and conduct searches from water and air for people lost at sea. They maintain transmitting stations that send navigation signals all over the world." 
CWO3 Jay Enginger
MSD Cincinnati

USCG Inland Lifesaving Station
Louisville, KY
 On Sept. 24, 1993, the Louisville Area World War II Coast Guard Committee dedicated two bronze plaques aboard the old Coast Guard Inland Lifesaving Station (below right). The plaques commemorate both the continuous operation of the Coast Guard station from 1880 to 1972 (the last inland floating lifeboat station in the Coast Guard) and the efforts of "citizen-reservists" in Louisville during World War II. The station now serves as the offices for the Steamboat Belle of Louisville (left of station in photo above). 
LCDR Chuck Polk, USCGR
CGHQ (G-WTR-2), Louisville native

Cain Hall & Plaque 
RTC Yorktown, VA
 LT Colleen Cain was a Coast Guard Reservist who became the CG's first female HH-52A pilot in June 1979. On Jan. 7, 1982, while stationed at AIRSTA Barbers Point, Hawaii, the helicopter she was co-piloting responded to a distress call from a fishing vessel in stormy weather. The helo crashed into the side of a mountain in the Wailua Valley of Molokai, Hawaii. Cain, along with two other crew members, CDR Buzz Johnson and ASM David Thompson were killed. Cain Hall, a 100-room residence hall at RTC Yorktown, was dedicated in her memory Oct. 25, 1985. The Cain family also unveiled a bronze plaque outside the entrance to Cain Hall at the dedication (see photo above). A plaque honoring the three Coast Guardsmen is in the Barbers Point Club in Hawaii. Another plaque honoring Cain is among those at the International Forest of Friendship, Atchison, Kan. An article on Cain appeared in the March 1996 Reservist.
Reservist Staff

CGC Cuyahoga Memorial
Yorktown, VA 
 When CGC Cuyahoga collided with the Argentine motor vessel Santa Cruz near the mouth of the Potomac River in Virginia Oct. 20, 1978, 10 Coast Guardsman and one Indonesian naval officer died.  This monument at RTC honors them. 
Reservist Staff

Canfield Plaque, Painting & Trophy
RTC Yorktown, VA 
 Congressman Gordon Canfield of New Jersey, considered the father of the CGR, introduced legislation to create the Coast Guard Reserve in 1941. To honor him, RTC Yorktown dedicated Canfield Hall in 1984. It was the first CG facility to be named after a member of Congress. The photo above right is a reproduction from the September / October 1984 Reservist showing the Canfield Hall plaque and a painting of Gordon Canfield, both unveiled at the 1984 dedication. At left is then-RADM James C. Irwin, then-Chief, Office of Readiness & Reserve, Mrs. Dorothy Canfield, second from right, and then-CAPT John N. Faigle, right, who later served as Chief, Office of Readiness & Reserve. In the photo at right is the Gordon Canfield Trophy, permanently displayed at the Reserve Officers Association Minuteman Building in Washington, D.C. For many years, the trophy was awarded to the nation's best reserve unit. 
LT Dave Allen, USCGR
CGHQ (G-WTR-2), Alexandria, Va. 

USLHS Bell Monument
Seaman Bernt Riise Memorial
Charleston, SC 
 At Base Charleston, we have two monuments. The top photo shows a U.S. Lighthouse Service bell from 1923 mounted on a concrete slab. Flanking the bell are the father-son Coast Guard team of BMCS Tom Gelwicks, Sr., left, and BMC Tom Gelwicks, Jr. The other memorial is the Bernt Riise memorial headstone. Riise was a seaman aboard the Revenue Cutter Yamacraw, who drowned at sea in 1909. The memorial stone depicted at left was found in 1982, five feet underground while digging a grave in the oldest section of Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston. Originally erected by his shipmates, the memorial was recovered and placed permanently at Base Charleston as a final resting place for Seaman Riise. 
BMCS Thomas Gelwicks, USCG (Ret.)
YN1 T. Roberts, USCGR

Flagler College CGR Display
St. Augustine, FL 
 St. Augustine is considered by many to be the birthplace of the CGR. One of the first classes to graduate from Reserve officer training did so at St. Augustine in May 1941 at the converted Ponce de Leon Hotel, now Flagler College. From 1942-45, thousands of young recruits received their "boot" and advanced training at what was certainly one of the most unusual training stations of WWII. A visitor to Flagler College today will find a permanent display recognizing USCG WWII training activities (see photo above). The display includes plaques presented to the college by various groups. These plaques include Coast Guard Reserve 50th anniversary and CGR emblem plaques, two engravings and one 4-by-5 inch plaque mounted on the front center of the display which reads: "Site of U.S. Coast Guard Training Station and Related Activities During World War II 1942-45." Other magazine articles and photos round out the display. 
Tom King, Archivist, Flagler College
St. Augustine, Fla.

Douglas Munro Memorial
Crystal River, FL
 BMCM John "Jocko" Mahoney, left in photo, and CWO4 George Senn, USCGR (Ret.), right, were guests of the Yankeetown Coast Guard Station at the Sept. 27, 1995 dedication of the Douglas A. Munro monument honoring the Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor winner. This 5,500-pound granite monument is located in the park at the rear of Crystal River City Hall. Sponsored by the USCG and Crystal River Eagles Aerie 4272, the dedication ceremony was well organized with over 400 persons in attendance. 
CWO4 G.R Senn, Jr., Crystal River, Fla. 
David W. Mittman, Monclova, Ohio

City Hall Square & Lighthouse Monuments
St. Augustine, FL
 On Aug. 24, 1990, Coast Guard E-2C Radar Surveillance Aircraft Number 3501 crashed while returning from a mission that originated at Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. The E-2C was at mission's end and returning when the crew reported a fire in the port engine. It crashed in a cow pasture one-quarter mile from the runway, taking with it the four-man crew. Over 1,500 members of the CG family made contributions for St. Augustine's City Hall Square monument (below left). It was dedicated Aug. 23, 1991. Another plaque honoring the four was placed near St. Augustine lighthouse (below). 
LT John Shallman
LANTAREA PAO

CGC Blackthorn Monuments (WLB-391)
St. Petersburg, Fla. and Galveston, TX
 On the evening of Jan. 28, 1980, CGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) collided with the tanker Capricorn in Tampa Bay, Fla., near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  Homeported in Galveston, Blackthorn had just completed an extensive yard period in the Tampa area and had many crew members who had never sailed aboard the vessel.  The incident claimed the lives of 23 Coast Guardsmen.  A 6,000-pound monument commemorating the sinking is located at the Sunshine Skyway bridge north base rest area.  The monument points out the location where Blackthorn and Capricorn collided.  All 23 Coast Guardsmen are listed on the 5-foot wide by 8-foot tall monument, dedicated in 1981.  It was constructed of gray granite with polished face, chipped sides and back to provide the desired degree of maintenance-free permanence.  The Florida Legislature named the wayside parks at each end of the Skyway Bridge "Blackthorn Memorial Park."  At Base Galveston, a buoy contains a commemorative plaque and is lit permanently.  It looks out over Galveston Bay (right photos). 
MK1 Donald Kessel, Bradenton, Fla.
BM1 David Devine, ANT Galveston

White Alder Memorial Park
New Orleans, LA
 I had only been in the Coast Guard Reserve 16 months when I performed my first ADT at Base New Orleans.  These photos, taken in December 1970 of the White Alder Memorial, are located on the base . CGC White Alder collided with the Formosan freighter Helena Dec. 7, 1968.  The memorial is dedicated to 17 Coast Guardsmen who were killed in the collision. 
LCDR Chuck Polk, USCGR
Commandant (G-WTR-2)

Anthony L. Oneto Memorial Room
El Paso, TX
 During WWII, Anthony Oneto served as a CG Reserve officer aboard USS Cavalier. On March 11, 1947, while serving with the U.S. Border Patrol, Oneto was shot in the head four times at Indio, Calif. by a man attempting to smuggle four illegal aliens. Oneto, 30, died of the gunshots instantly. He is honored at the U.S. Border Patrol Museum & Library in El Paso with a room named after him. American Legion Post 812 in Los Angeles is also named in his honor. 
CWO4 T. Golda 
Grand Island, N.Y. 
Ed's note: A feature on Oneto was published in The Reservist, September 1994. 

CDR Elmer F. Stone Statue
San Diego, CA 
 Coast Guard Air Station San Diego pays tribute to the USCG's first aviator, CDR Elmer Stone, with this statue. He also was one of the crew of the Navy NC-4 that made the first transatlantic flight May 31, 1919. A plaque and montage of photos of him and fellow aviators hangs next to the plaque.
CAPT William N. Taylor
USCGR (Ret.), San Diego

World War II Patrol Frigate Monument
Coast Guard Island, Alameda, CA
 As a member of the Patrol Frigate Reunion Association (PFRA) and a plank owner of USS Albuquerque PF-7, I was one of the speakers at the Aug. 10, 1994 dedication ceremonies of the Patrol Frigate Monument located on Munro Circle at CG Island. The 75 Coast Guard-manned frigates of WWII are listed on the monument and are accompanied by the newly-completed flagstone and ship's bell. 
David Hendrickson
Fresno, Calif. 
Ed's note: Two other monuments are dedicated to the patrol frigates - one of which was published in last month's Reservist (located at Curtis Bay, Md.); the other will be dedicated Sept. 6 at the CG Academy during the PFRA reunion in Boston. 

Humanitarian Mission Sculpture
Coast Guard Island, Alameda, CA 
In April 1979, then-PA1 Chester L. "Chet" Spaulding thought CG Island needed some dimensional art (sculpture). So, Spaulding, now a reserve chief and self-taught sculptor, drew a sketch of what became the "Humanitarian Mission," a bronze sculpture that rests in Building 14's main entrance foyer (right). His command and CGHQ commissioned Spaulding to sculpt it slightly less than half life-size for casting in bronze. The statue's basic features were modeled from photos of Spaulding's shipmates: SK1 Grace Parmelee, CWO4 Andrew Gregorich and LTJG Kenneth Thysell. The final bronze was made at Nordhammer Art Foundry in Oakland. After only ten months of work, the sculpture was unveiled Jan. 25, 1980.
PA2 Darrell Wilson & PA2 David Angle, USCG
11th CG District Public Affairs (North Region)

Port Chicago National Memorial
Concord, CA 
 On July 17, 1944, in one of the worst stateside disasters of WWII, 320 Navy, Coast Guard, Marine and civilian dock workers died when the SS E.A. Bryan and S.S. Quinault Victory exploded at Port Chicago. Almost all of the men killed were African-Americans. Five Coast Guardsmen were manning a fire barge nearby and perished in the blast. Fifty years later, July 17, 1994, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial was dedicated and the five Coast Guardsmen's names are listed (above): MM1 W. Degryce, BM1 P. Broda, MM3 E. Portz, SN C. Riley and SA J. Sullivan. Behind the monument is LCDR S. Danschuk, USCG, and PS2 Scott Kendrick, USCGR. Port Chicago was torn down in 1968, but to this day, the cause of the disaster remains a mystery. 
PAC R. Cabral, USCGR, San Francisco 
Ed's note: See March 1995 Reservist for Port Chicago feature.

Columbia River Bar Memorial
Astoria, OR 
 The Columbia River Bar is one of the most treacherous in the nation, if not the world. The monument in nearby Astoria honors nine Coast Guardsmen who paid the ultimate sacrifice including five from the MLB Triumph in 1961, three from UTB 41332 in 1977 and MK1 Charles W. Sexton in 1991.
LT Mike White
Cape Disapp., Wash. 

Cape Disappointment Plaque
Station Cape Disappointment, WA 
 This plaque is mounted on a boulder at Station Cape D. and says: "A memorial to all those Coast Guardsmen who made the supreme sacrifice that others might live, 1961-1982. Eight Coast Guardsmen are listed on this plaque provided by the Ilwaco-Long Beach Kiwanis Club in 1983. 
LT Mike White 
Cape Disappointment, Wash. 

Coast Guard Memorial
Black Lake, Ilwaco, WA 
 This Coast Guard memorial is located two miles from Station Cape Disappointment. It was financed by the American Legion and was dedicated in 1992. It says, "Dedicated to the United States Life Saving Service, the United States Coast Guard, and those who lost their lives in service." Nine names are listed.
LT Mike White 
Cape Disappointment, Wash. 
Ed's note: A larger photo of this monument is on the cover of this monuments section, p. 7.

Douglas A. Munro Gravesite
CGCVA 50th Munro Monument
Cle Elum, WA 
 Our Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor recipient, Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro, is interred in the Veterans' section, Laurel Hills Cemetery in Cle Elum. His mother, LT Edith Munro, a WWII SPAR, (see November 1994 Reservist), is interred next to her son. The Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association dedicated a monument here Sept. 27, 1992, to commemorate 50 years since Munro's heroic actions and ultimate sacrifice at Guadalcanal.
C. E. Kermen
South Cle Elum, Wash. 

Armed Forces Memorial
Wenatchee, WA 
 A few years ago, a veterans' memorial was erected at the convention center here in Wenatchee. I noticed right away that the USCG seal was left off. Time went by and I dropped the issue. Then, about a year ago, another CG Reservist, PS2 Harvey Gjesdal moved to town, and he noticed the deletion and was pretty outraged. He started a letter-writing campaign and contacted veterans' groups, senators and representatives. Because of his efforts, the Coast Guard emblem was finally added to the monument. As you look at the photo (above), you'll notice the emblem is centered beneath the other services' emblems. Standing next to the monument is PS2 Gjesdal, a reservist with me at Station Seattle, who is also a Deputy Sheriff for Douglas County, Wash. 
BMC C. M. Buick, USCGR
Wenatchee, Wash. 

USCG Bering Sea Patrol Monument
Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, AK 
 This monument is located at Dutch Harbor in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. It was dedicated by the Coast Guard and people of Alaska on our service's bicentennial, Aug. 4, 1990. It is a tribute to the Bering Sea Patrol - those United States Revenue Cutter Service sailors who sacrificed much for Alaska and their nation. 
M. L. Rinehart
Baltimore, Md. 

Hula Dancer / Bathing Beauty
Sand Island, Base Honolulu, HI 
 The "Hula Dancer" and "Bathing Beauty" statues were constructed by Italian POW Alfredo Giusti during WWII to honor the women back home, waiting for the prisoners' return. Giusti was interned at a camp located on Sand Island, now the site of CG Base Honolulu. Nearly 5,000 POW's were interned between 1944-46 on Sand Island and other camps on Oahu. Today, the statues (restored in 1995) grace the entrance to the new Florence Ebersole Smith Administration Building at Base Honolulu (photo above).
LCDR R.M. Dielh and MST1 R.U. Klarmann
Base Honolulu, Sand Island, Honolulu, Hawaii 

Anchor Memorial
Base Honolulu, HI 
 Base Honolulu's anchor memorial is the USCG's first monument to recognize all sailors and ships lost in operations during World War II. It was dedicated Sept. 2, 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of V-J Day and the end of the war. The memorial consists of a 15-foot white anchor circumscribed by a ring of copper plates listing the names of over 900 sailors killed in action. Inside the circle are two pedestals and a large brass bell. The pedestals contain plaques which list all USCG ships lost in action and explain the memorial's symbolism. The bell was rung during the dedication, attended by ADM Robert E. Kramek, Commandant, and MCPO-CG Rick Trent, to honor those Coast Guardsmen who perished in WWII. In addition, the foundation of the bell contains a time capsule which will be opened in 50 years. 
LCDR R.M. Dielh and MST1 R.U. Klarmann
Base Honolulu, Sand Island, Honolulu, Hawaii

Last Modified 2/27/2009