1939 - On 12 May 1939, Boatswain's Mate First Class Clarence Samuels was appointed as a Chief Photographer's Mate (Acting), becoming the first African-American chief petty officer, the first African-American photographer in the Coast Guard and only the second Coast Guardsman to serve in that rating up to that point.
Coast Guard crew members rescued six passengers from a 21-foot Sea Ray off of the Channel Islands, Calif., May 9, 2009. The rescue occurred during the 3rd Annual Channel Island Harbor Safe Boating Expo. (Coast Guard Photo/Mr. Jim Smeal)