ALPHABETICAL TOC OF JACK'S JOINT

THE COMPLETE LIBRARY OF

JACK’S JOINT

AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE ARTICLES, STORIES, EDITORIALS, POEMS AND BLATANT LIES POSTED ON

Updated September 15, 2004

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Note: These are temporary numbers. They change with each alphabetical change. Permanent numbers for each article can be located elsewhere on this site.

1946 - A Dismal Year for the Coast Guard by Jim Gill -[807 words] - The year the Coast Guard almost died. – OPINION

1963 CGC Acacia by Floyd Stormer -[284 words] - A tired ol' engineer laments an ice breaking season on the Great Lakes.

1964 Alaska Earthquake Radio Traffic-Contributed by John Smith – [8,993 words]

A Beer Urge And A 9mm Nudge by Joe Rush - [1577 words] - Some people live and learn, some just live, and some are just inordinately lucky

A Buoy Tender Tows a Battleship By C. William Bailey - In the early days of the CGC TUPELO during WWII, she did many different jobs for the Navy in the Pacific Theater.

A Career That Almost Went Kaput By Don Opedal -- A Coast Guard career that started so well could have gone South had I allowed myself to be tempted at the wrong time. Those who don't know me might consider it luck.

A CG Airdale Compares Driver Requirements Submitted by Paul McKenna

A Chief’s Version of the 1959 Cadet Cruise By Charles L. Umpstead -- Married CPOs are the brokest of all servicemen

A Christmas Eve Watch By Michael L. Zapawa

A Christmas Poem - This poem made the rounds last year so you may have read it. It is pretty good so it is worth reading again. The unknown Marine Corps author has a request at the bottom of the page for all who read this poem.

A Coast Guard Loran Station by Ken Smith - [855 words] - A Coast Guard without 40 footers, foghorns and dramatic rescues.

A Coastie Christmas by Jeff Lindstrom - [375 words] - With apologies to Clement Moore.

A Coastie Pub Crawl By Pat Varallo -- Bill and Pat always had a plan for liberty when they were on the DUANE. Sometimes it was Plan A and sometimes it was Plan B. Usually it was Plan A and Plan B.

A Coastie…And Proud Of It! By Dave L. Moyer -[1287 words] A postscript to the Owasco Chronicles……….

A Cold War Encounter By Harold Doan - Everything was going okay until the Commissar arrived on scene.

A Cottage By The Lighthouse Near The Beautiful Sea By Barbara Doyle Ward, a Coasties Wife -- This short poem was written in 1972

A Day Away from the Paperwork by Jeff Lindstrom - [541 words] - It was a beautiful day for a boat ride .............

A Deadly Training Crash© Army Air Corps BC-1 ACTS Training September 14, 1938 By Ken Freeze - Reprinted By Permission.

A Few "R-Rated" Kickapoo Stories - by Johnny Johnson -[686 words] a word source for a new vocabulary.

A Fishy Tale About A Fish Trail - by Gerald Wanek -[370 words] - The title is self-explanatory.

A Gold Life Saving Medal - From The Coast Guard Historian's Website.

A Guiding Light Saying Follow Me By Donald H. Ward -- A Poem Dedicated to my Father In Law, Daniel James Doyle who served in the U.S. Lighthouse service on Spring Point Light, Portland, Maine and to the U.S. COAST GUARD who shared this service to the end.

A Hero is Discovered by Dave Moyer - [1417 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

A History Lesson - [724 words] - The Old Guard(s) vs. the New Guard. - OPINION

A Lightship Sailor Is Surprised - By Donald H. Ward - Funny things happened during WWII as this ex-Coastie relates.

A Mountain William Joins The Coast Guard - Anonymous - This old writing has been kicking around for years. For kicks and grins we put a Coast Guard Spin on it.

A Nautical Lesson - Anonymous - "Origin of the Brass Monkey."

A Nickname is Born by Joe Morales - [140 words] - Minor goofs that follow you throughout your career. . ...

A Night At The Opera By Bob Smith -- Bob and a shipmate are frowned on by high society -- Bob Smith Crossed the Bar 4 June 1999

A Paint Party By John (Rusty) Marshall - Revenge is sweet, especially when it embarrasses the Navy

A Perfect Moment - Anonymous - An experienced aviator shares a poignant observation

A Sailor's Dream by John R Smith - [701 words] - The night the "new guy" had a date with a beauty queen.

A Sailor's Prayer - Anonymous

A Sailor's Pride by Ralph L. Cote A short poem dedicated to Captain Norman L Scherer, CO, USCGC Gresham 1964-68

A Sedge Wife's Lament by Mrs. Don Law - Pete Corson's contribution to posterity.

A Soldier Died Today - Author Unknown - [474 words]

A Soldier's Christmas - Author Unknown - We can recognize the Army once in awhile.. An excellent poem.

A Students Rememberance Of Groton By Jack Morrison - A former student and now a retired ET E-9 Chief recalls what life was like in Basic ET School.

A Surfman is Properly Reprimanded - Link to the Coast Guard site – LINK

A Surfman's Lament - Author Unknown - Contributed by CBM(L) Mawood Boole USCG (ret) and Richard L. Chenery III - [932 words] A distant echo from WWII.

A Surfman's Short Story by William L. Andres - [ 379 words] - A short story consisting of two letters, probably handwritten.

A Surprise Meeting by Jack Eckert - [597 words] - One surprise leads to another.

A Tale Of Two Ladies by Jack Eckert – [669 words] -Two ladies honored at two separate solemn events were brought forward from the obscurity of history…………

A Technician -- What's That? Contributed by Esther Stormer - Little changes over 45 years or so.

A Tough Career - Anonymous - Maybe this conversation happened.

A Tour On The Nourmahal By Bernard Lehrer - A young radioman goes to sea on a long since forgotten ship and comes down with hayfever.

A Tragic Good Friday - 11 April 1952 By J. R. Lee And Ted A. Morris -- With a commercial DC-4 ditched off of Puerto Rico, Coast Guard and Air Force planes and ships sprung into action and averted a worse tragedy.

A Tragic Good Friday - 1952 (with J.R. Lee)

A Tribute To Bill Bybel by Al Schreiber - A recent obituary jogged the authors memory.

A Trip In Time - Revisiting Your Military Experience ©by Jim Ure - [2824 words] - A reporter goes back to his Alameda Boot Camp days and other Coast Guard experiences in the Bay Area.

A Turkey Came To Thanksgiving Dinner By Don Gardner - [515 words] - It was a difficult to figure out which turkey should have been cooked.

A Venerable Cutter By C. William Bailey – Captain Bailey was the last Commanding Officer of the Ice Breaker Eastwind.

A Wakefield Diary by Bruno Ackerman© - [16,502 words] This article is posted in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format. This is the day to day diary of Mr. Ackerman covering a period between April 8 and October 8, 1942. There is no real begining nor is there an end. Just day to day journal entries. A must read for all Coast Guard history buffs. Seamond transcribed the diary from audio tapes and is due our undying thanks.

A Water Spout By Any Other Name…. By Bob Reding – [605 words] – A young striker is at a loss for words.

Abandon Ship - All Rights Reserved © June 2001 by CCCNews Net - Ten sharks waited for nine Coast Guardsmen, ordered to jump into the churning sea. Link To CGC Rockaway website. (Linked by Permission) - Note: This page loads very slowly

Acquiring A Brand New Gold Stripe By Don Opedal - The story of a man who went from ET1 to ETC to ETC(OC) to Ensign in six months.

Action At Guadalcanal by Raymond Evans – A story about Douglas Munro and Ray Evans – A link to the CG History site

Acts Of A Gold Star Mother, Ther By Paul Blayney –[1137 words] -The little known story of one of the World War II SPARs …

Adak Crash Of PBY-5A© - July 18, 1943 By Ken Freeze - Reprinted By Permission - Coast Guard Aviation Tragedies

Admiral Waesche by Russell R. Waesche, Jr [542 words] - From "We've Been There" ©Esther Stormer -- 1992 - No collection of Coast Guard stories would be complete without an article on one of it's most innovative and respected leaders. (Reprinted here by permission.)

Adventures And Misadventures Of A Brass Pounder, by Frank M Stinson - [1881 words] - The adventures and misadventures covering 35 years of brass pounding for the U.S. government as both a military and a civilian radio operator.

Air Station Salem Armed Forces Day Crash© - May 18, 1957 By Ken Freeze- Reprinted By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

Aircraft Carrier In Hurricane Floyd - Author Unknown - [850 words] Looks like a walk in the Park. Nothing ever happens on a nice sunny day. (Submitted by John Ingram)

Air-Sea Rescue at OCEAN STATION CHARLIE – 1947 LINK

Alcatraz Disguised By John J. Murray - A first hand account of the life of a surfman on Buffalo Lifeboat Station in 1937.

Alcohol Control Officer On The Sebago by Jim Miotke - [499 words] - A tale of mischief on the SEBAGO

All Gaul Is Divided By Robert Gaut - Our own Poet Laureate contributes another bit of doggerel that isn't quite "Coastie" but fits.

Along the Frozen Front (World War II in the Arctic) by Bruno Yoka - [1402 words] - An adventure on the Greenland Icecap. .

Always Ready by Dave Moyer - [728 words] - Another story added to the Owasco Chronicles.

American GI - Man of the Century - From Military Report and the Congressional Record.

An Airedale Goes On Weather Patrol By Ted A. Morris -- Given the time frame, immediately after World War II when the Coast Guard was in disarray, This airedale found out that transportation to Argentia on a 255 which turned out to be three 255's, Mendota, Androscoggin, and Winnebago, wasn't easy.

An Alaskan Love Life By Bernard Lehrer - In which our hero continues his WWII adventures...................

An Arctic “Cruise” Turned Treacherous By Bruno Yoka – [1403 words] - The Icebreaker WESTWIND has an adventure to forget..

An Explosion on the Bering Strait by Tom Opilla -[771 words] - A natural disaster generates a huge explosion.

An Officer And A Gentleman By Ed Klingensmith Reprinted Courtesy of Ken Laessar's CG History Site - This is the story of a real Coast Guard hero.

An Old ‘Coastie’ Dreams By Charles L. Umpstead - The title says it all.

An Old Sailor Remembers - WPB-83484 By Wink Weber - Through the mists of time the rigors of the Alemeda Boot Camp and patrol duty on an 83 Footer are remembered.

An Onion In The Petunia Patch By Jack A. Eckert - On detached duty to the Navy.

Anchor Detail by Ralph Elliot - [115 words] - Worst pun ever.

And then there is Marine Inspection By Al Schreiber - All the heroes of the 'Nam war weren't over there.

And This Aint No Sh _ T! by Homer Dean - [188 words] - All Sea Stories start out this way ...

And Yet They Went - by Dennis L. Noble - [714 words] - A Tribute To The men and Women of the Quillayute River Station.

Announcing The Wisckey Class Cutter -- Submitted By Bernie Hoyland -- This goofy idea would bust the budget just for fuel...and the cost of repairing all those hernias from loading 16 inch shells would not be cheap!

Another Evergreen Story By Mark Wood – [367 words] - Morale hit it’s nadir when this most notorious of all cutters left Governor’s Island.

Another Fun Day At Lualualei -or- Panic at Fifty Feet by Chuck Kircher - In which Larry surprises Chuck.

Are We Crazy? By Pat Varallo -- You have to be nuts to be in the Coast Guard. Think about it . . . the kind of duty we do and did will drive you nuts, if you aren’t there already.

Are We or Aren't We? - [262 words] - A Coast Guard Family. -OPINION

Arizona Continues the War Aboard Taney By Warren Hartman

Arrividerci by John R. Smith - [1065 words] - Memories of the sunken Andrea Doria influence the author to join the CG.

Asiatic Crew Of The Planetree By Allen J. Neal A ship full of Corporal Klingers in the mid 1950's

At Last - Coast Guard Navy Bean Soup by Jim King - [414 words] - Try it You'll like it.

Au Revoir Captain Harvey By Daran Barfield - [1088 words] - There are stories and articles on this site of the beginnings of a Coast Guard career but this one is about the end of a career. What is significant is that the author is a civilian.

Auction Of Historic Ship Tugs At Heartstrings By Jennifer Harper ©2001 The Washington Times - It is a sadness repeated time and again when a living, breathing, faithful old ship Heads To The Knockers. Reprinted By Permission Of The Author.

Avery Point Light Latecomer But It Deserves Preservation© By Carol W. Kimball - Published on 9/21/2000 -- The New London Day

Aviation 101 - Author Unknown - Ron Yokes passed this on - CG Aviators take note.

Aviation Machinist Mate School, US Coast Guard Air Station San Diego; 1946 LINK

Aviation Radioman - by Seb Shahlamian - [1313 words] - During World War II people got around a bit more than in peacetime. These were the author's adventures .....

Backfired by J.C. Carney (as told to him by Jim Van Horn) - [288 words] - How vulgarity was cured on the MORRIS.

Ballad of a Coastguardsman Horace Marvin Lewey jr - A bit of doggerel written over 40 years ago on Ocean Station Echo.

Balls - Contributed by Dan Eckert

Barnegat Lightship Update - By Jerry Radloff - Link to maritime.com. The demise of the Barnegat Lightship is reported. (Submitted by Seamond Ponsart Roberts.)

Barney Sez by Jack Baines - [422 words] - One day a different pet dropped in on the TANEY.

Batangan Peninsula by Dave Moyer - [1353 words] - Part of the Owasco Chronicles.

Battle Practice on the USS Mojave CG in 1939 LINK

Beach Patrol Blues - [544 words] - Wartime, WWII, Beach Patrol on a Horse.

Beechcraft C-45B - USAF Training© - July 6, 1953 By Ken Freeze- Reprinted By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

Beer Can Antenna By Jack Williams -- In recent years it has become politically correct to recycle things that were originally put in land fills. This story, while a bit "techy", shows that this effort was being made in the mid 1950's before anybody even considered recycling, let alone passed laws enforcing it.

Ben Hurr Bath by Bill Shaffer -[353 words] - Revenge has it's after smell.

Bender "Blues" by Jack A. Eckert - [1360 words] - A case of uniform madness.

Beneath the decks, near the keel © By Lisa D. Healy - Soundings Staff -- Reprinted by permission of the author. There lies the realm of the engineers.

Bermuda Air Station by Don Gardner - [4513 words] -The true life adventures of a junior Radioman living amongst the "Zoomies" on a faraway island paradise.

Bernie’s Air Stories By Bernard A. Hoyland – [13,939 words) Get the pot ready, settle down with the author of the "Bernie Books" for an evening and read on

Big Bunny One - Author Unknown - From Doak Walkers 255 Site - Once upon a time Hugh Hefner of Playboy fame owned his own jet with a Playboy Bunny painted on the tail. This special plane comes into play in this story.

Big Catch by Megan Andrews – [270 words] – A fish story.

Bilbo's Tale Of Woe By Jack Morrison - The tale of an SN(ET) who became an SA.

Biscayne Bay Professionalism - 1950 (with J.R. Lee) LINK

BMC "Mickey" McKrez of the CGC CAMPBELL, a story from Ken Laesser's web site. - LINK

Boarding by Dave Moyer - [1305 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

Boatswains Mate - A poem courtesy of Mike Williams.

Bombs of a Different Type by Ken Smith - [525 words] Rated PG

Book'm Dano From "The Douglas Files" By Jeffrey Maxon - SA Douglas saw the assignment as simply another opportunity to match wits with the lifers. He won sometimes. Sometimes he didn’t.

Boot Camp 1948 - An Introduction to the Coast Guard by Jack Eckert - [2689 words] - Fifty years ago an immature 17 year old boy joined the Coast Guard.

Boot Camp, Manhattan Beach Training Center, 1944 by Ted A. Morris -- Colonel Morris began his Coast Guard career at the infamous Manhattan Beach Training Center in 1944. With that Garden of Eden as a beginning, it is little wonder why he shifted over to the Air Force and served 25 more years.

Boston - Author Unknown - A Poem Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.

Box Lunches By George Bruhl - Don't complain to the cook - They always win!

Boys In Navy Blue - Author Unknown -[846 words] Submitted by Jim McAllister, formerly of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Bramble Sails Into History© by Mary Lou Creamer - The CGC Bramble is decommissioned and will remain in Port Huron, Michigan. Reprinted by permission.

Bread Baking On The McCulloch - By Joe Pickens - Jack's Joint could be entirely filled with bread baking at sea stories and never repeat a one.

Brief Notes On My World War II Service -by Ralph J. Rogers - [555 words] - My decision to join the Coast Guard was simple: I liked riding a ship better than walking and marching .......

Brits by Dave Moyer - [921 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

Brown Christmas by Matt S. Gann - [318 words] - So there we were on the YACONA in Kodiak with the Christmas Day Duty.

Bug,The by Charles W. Lindenburg - [660 words] - "Scrounging and cumshaw" is not the exclusive realm of the "snipe." .

Buoy Tender Duty In The South Pacific - 1943-1946 By C.W. "Bill" Bailey - Extracted from Chapter Three of Captain Bailey's Autobiography, "You Can So, Eat Your Cake And Have It Too" ©2002 - Reprinted By Permission.

Burial At Sea By Bernard Lehrer - We were on our way home after WWII from Alaska on the CGC CEDAR when this burial at sea took place.

Byrd Tales By Foster Byrd - The sea stories that you would hear in a radio shack on the mid watch.

Camel Adrift by Donald Gardner - [255 words] - Nautical terminology befuddles a boot radioman.

Campbell Chatter - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.

Can You Top This? Author Unknown. Once in awhile a little levity is needed.

Cannon Balls - Anonymous - Submitted By Our Poet Laureate, Bob Gaut

Cap'n Jack By Donald E. Gardner - [1397 words] - The saga of a retired Coastie's first day on the job

Captain And The Boathouse Fire - By Dalton Burrus - [517 words] - The Captain insisted he had been in dories before I was born.

CG 83503 - A Brief History by Al Readdy -[216 words] - A few words about one of the "Match Box Fleet."

CG-36454 - Back from the Deep by Donald L. Nelson - This one will put sand in your seabag!

CG-83312 Adventures by Don Gardner - [2414 words] - It was 1949 and this was life on a wooden hull 83 footer.

CGC Arbutus - A Sea Story by Jack Overath [1031 words] - Stumbling on to a ghost of the past.

CGC Ariadne (WPC-101) Life Aboard A Buck Sixty-Five - Author Unknown - A lot of ink has been used describing Weather Patrols but little until now has described the arduous life on a 165.

CGC Iroquois Vs. the HASP - Another Version by Lou Grebbien - [728 words] - This most famous of stories from Coast Guard lore is told again by a different story teller.

CGC Iroquois Vs. the HASP by Jack Eckert - [274 words] - Guns almost ablaze!

CGC Mellon Revisited By Bob Urie -- A step into the past.

Chaplain by Dave Moyer - [1334 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

Chase"ing the AWOL's by Jack Morrison - [383 words] - The Skipper got sick and tired of chasing the AWOL's.

Chief - Your Guest Must Leave - by Ralph H. Davis - [1272 words] - A bawdy tale from the "Old Guard."

Chief Roche By Don Gardner - [466 words] - He was a strange character who smoked a corn-cob pipe.

Chiefs In Greece By Paul R. McKenna – [1047 words] – A little mischief on foreign soil.

Chiefs On Chiefs - Anonymous - Larry Stefanovich passed these along. He doesn't claim authorship nor does anybody else. It is just possible that these are Chiefs telling stories about Chiefs.

China by Dave Moyer - [1478 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

Christmas Memories - A Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter - 1940-1957 By Seamond Ponsart Roberts - Originally Posted on the Flying Santa Website - Reposted by permission of the author - Looking backward to how the Flying Santa, Edward Rowe Snow affected the life of a little girl growing up on a lighthouse.

Coast Guard Boot Camp; Some Things You Never Forget By Chuck Kircher [1781 Words] - And so it was that I found myself on May 13th, 1958, raising my right hand along with four other newly-turned eighteen year olds swearing to defend the Constitution of the United States.

Coast Guard by Floyd Stormer - [150 words] -An old sailor's poetic lament.

Coast Guard Construction Detachments by Van R. Field - [3135 words] - A first person account about constructing loran stations in the Pacific during WWII.

Coast Guard Cutter COOS BAY an article by Bill Bailey - [1616 words] A COOS BAY skipper tells of the life of the cutter.

Coast Guard Cutter SPAR Christened and Launched By Jack A. Eckert - Jack's Joint on site!

Coast Guard Gypsies By Jack A. Eckert - A look in general at the STD's and an essay on the west coast STD-3.

Coast Guard Hymn - [118 words] - With the music in MIDI format.

Coast Guard in Vietnam from The Coast Guard Reservist, November 1996 - Taken from Vern Toler's TANEY website. This is a thumbnail history of the Coast Guard in Vietnam with a detailed listing of the Coast Guard Cutters that were deployed there.

Coast Guard Recognition in WWII By Al Schreiber - The only difference between our uniform and the Navy's was the white shield we wore on our right arm.

Coast Guard Surfmen on the USS Fuller(AP-5) by CBM(L) Mawood Boole, USCG (ret) as told to Richard Chenery [411 words] A short reminisce about mixing Coast Guard and Navy Crews.

Coast Guard to Salute SPAR's -- Women Who Made a Difference - By Andrew DeMilo - LINK to the Seattle Times.

Coast Guard Training Station at Avery Point - Reprinted courtesy of Lester Theriot - [1101 words] - LINK

Coast Guard(s) 2 - Atlantic Ocean 0 by Michael Zapawa - [1249 words] - For one day I was a hero even if it was only to two people I will never meet..

Coast Guard’s Doctor Master Chief Calculates Climb To The Top by Rudi Williams, Armed Forces Press Service – Word Count Unknown – An Armed Forces Information Service News Article about MCPOCG Vince Patton. (Link)

Coast Guard-Manned Naval Vessels in World War II by Robert Erwin Johnson -- Coast Guard-Manned Naval Vessels in World War II is a publication of the Coast Guard Historian's office, and a Commandant's Bulletin insert for February 1993. LINK to the Coast Guard Historians site. Note – There are many stories alluding to World War II vessels manned by Coast Guardsmen within this collection. This well written article provides the needed prospective to place many of these experiences into context.

Coasties and Zoomies Work Together By Bob Urie - Rare Photo of the CGC Mellon refueling a USAF bird in rough seas.

Coasties On The Rampage by John R. Smith - [612 words] - Crewman of the CGC Northwind have the final say.

Collision Course - Submitted by John Ingram -[197 words]- A collision at sea can ruin a perfect day.

Combat Pickup Trucks By John Davis –[248 words] - Murphy taught us if there is a way to do something wrong or screw something up there are fools who will find that way… Here it is – It was tough on all concerned – Here it is -- Believe It Or Not!

Concrete Sailboat By Shawn Vredenburg – [1936 words] - Up to this point in my life, my only sailing experience was aboard very small sailboats on very small lakes in Kansas…….

Confessions of a Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot - Part I by Jack McCormack and edited by Don Gardner - [1565 words] - Part One of a Four part series.

Confessions of a Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot - Part II by Jack McCormack and edited by Don Gardner - [1205 words] - Part Two of a Four part series.

Confessions of a Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot - Part III by Jack McCormack and edited by Don Gardner - [1695 words] - Part Three of a Four part series.

Confessions of a Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot - Part IV by Jack McCormack and edited by Don Gardner - [1737 words] - Part Four of a Four part series.

Confused Swimmer by Don Gardner - [156 words] - AT3 Godwin had a well-developed sense of humor.

Conversations By Esther Stormer, Extracted From "This *?#!*@*? Was The Coast Guard" ©1985 Reprinted By Permission. Floyd and Esther travelled around for several years in their RV visiting friends and shipmates as they went. They amassed a treasure trove of recorded conversations of sea stories and sand tales. Only a minimal effort has been made to pretty up the language. It reads pretty much as it was transcribed and certainly transmits the flavor of the "Old Guard."

Convoy Escort - 1943 by Bernard Lehrer -[294 words] -A brief reminisce of a wartime experience.

Coots By Leland Bickford - This poem must have been written by a wickie or a ground pounder on a long winter's watch.

Courier Tales by Paul R McKenna - [2423 words] - The Courier was the Voice of America ship stationed at the Isle of Rhodes

Crash In Greenland© - Northland's J2F Duck #1640 By Ken Freeze - Reprinted By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

Crash of Jolly Green 23© - June 9, 1968 By Ken Freeze - Republished By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy

Crew Will Always Find A Way - Author Unknown - [307 words] - This little story is about the pre WWII beach patrol.

Crewmen of LV 116 (Chesapeake Lightship) Oral Histories - Link to Coast Guard Historians web page. Life on a Lightship transcribed from oral tapes by Seamond Ponsart Roberts.

Crossed Anchors - Submitted By George E. Vincent - A poetic salute to the anchor clankers.

Crossing The Bar by R. E. Anderson - [1709 words]An account of the events involving the USCGC BONHAM on 28 February 1956 Reprinted from The January 2000 (Coast Guard) Retiree Newsletter - Posted by Permission

Cruise of the Rammer Thorgaut By Nathan W. Beck (or) Why The Globe VIII Never Left Port

Curse of Can Do by Ann Laurent -OPINION-

D Day Museum By Bob Gaut – [120 words] Our New Orlean’s Poet Laureate (in waiting) strikes at the heart again.

Dave by Dave L. Moyer - [271 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles - The effect of a sailor's last words.

Death And Virtual Resurrection Of The Vineyard Lightship By Seamond (Ponsart) Roberts [475 words] – An eye witness account of yesterday and today.

Death of the Coos Bay by Jack Eckert - [1112 words] - And like the Phoenix .........

Death On Blyn Mountain© - April 6, 1943 By Ken Freeze - Reprinted By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

Decision Time at the Yard By Don Gardner - Don't be bitter -- Reconsider.

Deer Hunting on Drummond Island by James Waesche- [408 words] - A story about the little known R&R on the Mackinaw

Demise Of Monster Maggie By Alban Landry – [375 words] - This sequel solves a mystery.

Despair And Visions: Birth Of The Rescue Helicopter by Barrett T. (Tom) Beard © 1998 -[2029 words] - An expanded prologue to his book, "Wonderful Flying Machines" - Amidst the chaos of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, a Coast Guard Officer had a vision.....

Ding-A-Ling By Roy Remley - Can you tie a granny knot sailor?

Dirty Freddy, The by Jack Eckert - [1552 words] - A strange end to a fledgling Coast Guard career.

Dirty Tricks By Charles L. Umpstead -- Practical jokes are one thing as long as they don't become malicious. One such practical joke backfired and the author paid the penalty in later years.

Ditch and Rescue by Wayne Hokom - [1056 words] - A first hand account of the 1956 ditching of PanAm flight 563 and the rescue by the CGC PONCHARTRAIN. Additional linkage provided with the story.

Ditching of PanAm Flight 943- From the WPG 255 web site. - LINK

Do You Remember - [2439 words] - memories of the old guard.

Dog on Duty Aboard Cutter - The author of this article which appeared in the Coast Guard Magazine in February, 1955 is unknown. - [407 words] -Extracted from "We've Been There" by Esther Stormer ©1992 - Reprinted by Permission

Don't Panic - Write A Report --Anonymous - An article that does not have it's origins in the Coast Guard but should be of interest for old sea dogs and Marine Inspectors - A couple of "Brown Shoes" found it interesting enough to pass it on.

Drama at Sea by Bob Foley - [2249 words] - A composite Coast Guard rescue at sea.

Dramatic Rescue The Half Moon's rescue of a critically ill patient in a major Atlantic storm in 1964 is recounted in this flashback. Link to the CGC HALF MOON website. Courtesy of John Murphy.

Drunk Again by Don Gardner - [259 words] - When an OSV stopped in Argentia.

Duane High Jinks - By Esther Stormer - A couple of short stories starring CWO Floyd Stormer. Floyd has since crossed the bar and is missed by his many friends and shipmates.

Duane Liberty Escapades By Pat Varallo -- Off the gangway, through the gates, up Hanover Street, through Scollay Square .............

Duane Stories - Reprinted Courtesy of the Duane Association - Paul (Harry) Turner, President

Duty Day© By J. Rossotti - Extracted From The Forthcoming Book, "Sea Story" - The Duty Day of a Lady Coxwain and Her Crew

Duty In Chile During World War II by George Hughes - [676 words] - Coasties have been assigned to some strange places but Quintero, Chile?

Duty on a "Q" Ship by Lynn Bilyeu - [546 words] - Just think of the fun it would have been if the Navy would have given us a lot of these ships instead of the AVP's.

Duty On Small Boats During WWII By George Rogers - The Hey Day of the 38' Picket Boat.

Duty On The CGC Cayuga by Jim Donahue - [424 words] - Two brief tales about life in the pre WWII Coast Guard.

Earthquake!! - by Bobby Padgett - [620 words] - Alaska 1964, the day we left our families behind on a heavily damaged Kodiak Island to go to do our Coast Guard work.

East To The Orient - Part of the Saga of the U.S.S. WAKEFIELD (AP-22) [3 November 1941 to 23 February 1942] by Quentin McKay Greeley – [2,225 words] - This is the first of several stories of the Wakefield, the largest ship ever manned by Coast Guard personnel…..

Eastwind Collision - Author Unknown. -[480 words] -Brief factual account of the tragedy that took 13 Coast Guardsmen. Reprinted by permission from Ken Laessar's CG Site.

Eastwind's J2F-6 Crash© December 15, 1945 By Ken Freeze - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

Ellis Island By Robert L. Stambach - [622 words] -A ghost of Coast Guard past .......

End Of The Half Moon – A link to the Half Moon website which includes a letter from a junior crewman describing the last patrol and an account of the final disposition of the Halfmoon and Humboldt. Courtesy of John Murphy.

Engineering Fun By Ward Davies, Jr. -- Having been in the Black Gang in most capacities I can empathize with Commander Davies. Sometimes engineering problems can be real fun. – Jack

Engineer's Lament By Al Schreiber- 192 words - Written while serving aboard the Coast Guard manned U.S.S. RICKETTS (DE 254) 1943 – 1946

Engineroom Bells In Reserve By Charles L. Umpstead -- All about a loss of communications.

Escanaba by Jack Eckert - [3526 words] - An essay.

ET's 1 -- Snipes 0 By Ned Stevens - Now the truth comes out.

Eulogy In Tribute To the First MCPOCG, Charles Calhoun as delivered by MCPOCG Vincent Patton. In Adobe .pdf format

Ever Gone, Never Clean, Evergreen by Jack Eckert - [2202 words] -Like a man condemned I walked across the dock with my seabag on my back....

False Armistice by Lois Bouton, the Coast Guard Lady - [809 words] - This is a SPAR story that happened on Bethany Beach Delaware in August of 1945.

Farewell to Anguar By Allen J. Neal - A.J.'s final tale of Palau. It is 1954 and he is on his way home by way of the scenic route. The Little Ship That Could - Originally titled Iron Ship and Men of Steel (with apologies to buck and a quarter sailors) By Al Schreiber - The last days of the CGC TRITON (WPC-116)

Farewell To The Twentieth Century - OPINION - [351 words]

Fatal Collision By Tony Stolze - A Tanker and an Ammunition ship collided off of Norfolk in 1952. The author relates the event from his vantage point on the CG-480 (an 83 footer.)

Final Inspection - Author Unknown - Substitute Coastie for Soldier in this beautiful poem. -LINK-

Fire in the Bilges by Ken Smith - [494 words] -A young sailor learns the duties of a fire watch the hard way

Fire On The Ilhavense Segundo - Author Unknown - From Doak Walkers 255 Site - A Fire at Sea is a Terrible Thing......................

First Class, The Easy Way? By Bernard Lehrer - It was WWII, long before the advent of service wide promotion exams. Exams were locally generated and administered - Of course there may have been abuses and misuses.

Flossie By John Estep - A hurricane visits CGLBS Grand Isle

Flushed by Anon - [177 words] - Names and dates withheld to protect the guilty.

Flying BVD's by Jim Oss - [285 words] - Fortunately there were no brown spots on them....

Flying Santa Website - Reposted by permission of the author - Looking backward to how the Flying Santa, Edward Rowe Snow affected the life of a little girl growing up on a lighthouse.

Flying Tiger Airliner Down by Phil Gorman - [679 words] - The Owasco left station to assist the plane.

Fogging The Chief Bigot By Alan J. Neal -- This is one of many Tales of Palau. Read more about A.J., Dusty Rhodes, The Bigoted Chief, and the rest of the gang on Anguar Loran Station by going to Tales Of Palau.

For Whom The Bell Tolls by Timothy Harrison - Link to the Lighthouse Magazine, November 1999 Article about the memorial dedication to the lost Vineyard Lightship.

Forcing Haitians Home by Lisa Danielle Healy - [911 words] - You are pretty hard hearted if this story doesn't bring a tear to your eyes.

Former Cutter Sinks Two - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.

Forty Footer by Floyd Stormer - [204 words] - An unofficial response to a noisy problem.

Fox River Light Attendant Station By Al Schreiber - [676 words] - Al writes and asks about an old duty station. This was a different life and one most Coasties never knew about it. In this short article is a brief description of the duties and a couple of anecdotes concerning events that occurred while Al was on TAWD (Temporary Additional Winter Duty, i.e., where you went in the winter on the Great Lakes after you shut down your unit for the winter.)

Frank The "Roadrunner" By Don Gardner –[1327 words] - Wile E. Coyote playing the part of a tiger finally caught up with

French Frigate Shoals - Halfway between Honolulu and Midway by Bob Urie - Garden Spot Of The Pacific.

French Frigate Shoals - How It Was In 1969 By Bob Urie - What it was like in those days.

French Frigate Shoals Is For The Birds by Bob Urie - An essay with pictures of the co-occupants with the Coast Guard of this lovely pacific garden spot.

Fresh Baked Bread By Jack A. Eckert - My fondest memories of going to sea revolved around anticipating and then eating the fresh baked bread that appeared on the mess deck sometime before midnight.

Fresh Hot Bread - by Ralph H. Davis - [138 words] - If this doesn't jog your memory, nothing will.

FS 362 — Working For The Army By Jerome Friedman - During and after WWII ............

Full Circle By Don Gardner –[1284 words]- How often this tale is told – The background changes and the names of the characters (but not the characters themselves) change. This is the confession of a man who went full circle who is telling this story for the benefit of hundreds of us who traveled along this same path.

Funeral Plane Crashes in Snow Storm© - January 22, 1957 By Ken Freeze - Republished By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy

Genesis of a Rank by Al Siegrist - [210 words] - This tale could be called a sea story.

Getting Criminals Off of the Streets - from the Mackinaw Weekly Rag, Feb 1956. - [228 words] - The local police went to great lengths to do this.

Ghoul's of Groton - By John R. Smith - [674 words] - A rite of passage by the Thames.

GI Issue - [124 words] - Another "grumble poem" from WWII. Websi

Gillam Plane by Jim Gill - [2053 words] - Air-Sea Rescue in Alaska before the days of the helicopters.

GITMO? -- What the &$#@ is a GITMO? By John Russell - Story #3 of Crumby Tales of the Cookie Cutter. The story title is self evident.

Glittering Misery - Nancy Hendrickson describes the lives of Army officers’ wives on the frontier – Link to the History Magazine.

Glossary of Nautical Terms - Link to the CGC Glacier Web Site - LINK

God Bless The Coast Guard By Daniel Moore Kershner – [196 words] - Dedicated to the men who dare.

Going On Watch - Author Unknown - Extracted from Cyanthology – 1943

Golden Stream by Johnny Johnson - [226 Words] - An original alibi is developed

Gone Again By Don Gardner (with apologies to Rudyard Kipling) – [606 words] - After many years of retirement from the Coast Guard there comes a time when it is not the only thing in your thoughts. Other and more pressing matters arise. This is an ode to one of these pressing matters.

Gooney Birds, Midway and NMO by Bruno Yoka - [1123 words] - And you thought snipes were the only ones capable of scrounging and cannabalizing.

Goose On The Rocks by Jack Eckert - [1635 words] - Four Coast Guard careers almost ended that fall day in Sitka, Alaska in 1968.

Grand Melee of Yokosuka by J.C. Carney - [1065] words. They're at it again, those 255 sailors, this time the story is about the Chautauqua.

Great Chow On The Kickapoo - by Robert L. Smith - [294 words] - From the days when the Coast Guard was considered a good feeder.

Greenland Rescue - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.

Gresham Episodes by Don Gardner - [1338 words] - Weather Wagon mischief.

Groton Memories By Linda Malaussena Robinson - My Dad was stationed at the Groton Training Station when I was a girl.

Ground Hog Day at Sea by Charlie Spencer - [532 words] -Another 255 yarn.

Grounding of the Southwind by Ralph Breschini - [910 words] - 25,000 miles from home the ship hit a pinnacle and started taking on water

Guarding The U.S. Navy By Al Schreiber - Al won't agree with this but the origin of term. "Draft Dodger's Yacht Club" may be found in this tale.

Guarding the U.S. Navy By Al Schreiber - Wartime duty on the CG-1286

Guests Of The Crown - Contributed by Bruce Salisbury - The only known instance of an escape from a British Prison ship to North America. Very interesting and a poem added at the end to boot.

Gum Shoes and Ice Breakers By Ted McCormack - I couldn't figure out why I was being shunned and caught the worst work details on the Southwind.

Haiti: Operation Uphold Democracy By David Glasenapp - The smell of burnt coffee now transports me mentally from my backyard to the backyard of many Haitians. - Fiction with a factual basis.

Hard Aground -- Author Unknown -- From Doak Walkers 255 Site - The CGC Iroquois's demise.

Hard Times And Good Times by Jack Eckert - [2440 words] - A sea story about a sudden mid winter transfer and how a fledgling family survived it.

Harvest Moon Ball At CGAS Brooklyn By Jerold L."Jerry" Wanek - A short article describing how the hanger was set up to accommodate the ball

Hawaiian Baptism by Franklin A. Warren, Sr. - [1457 words] - A tale involving "Mad Mac" one of the Coast Guard's real old Seadog's.

He Would Be Sixty-Four By Joe Rush – [1443 words] - You have to be hard hearted not to be touched by this article.

Hedgehopping Ocean Station Sugar By Charles W. Lindenberg - "How high is your mast," said the pilot and our monotonous day at sea on weather patrol was made into something to remember.

Henrietta And Bell(e) By Harry T. "Tom" Serres - One yearned for the other on Holland Bar Lighthouse.

Heroes By Choice By Lisa Danielle Healy -[1680 words] - Despite howling winds and unruly seas, the crew of Coast Guard Station Cape Charles 41502 went in search of a tugboat in distress last January. Officially, the crew of the 41-foot utility boat was not supposed to go out that day. But five Coast Guardsmen, led by their officer-in-charge, volunteered for the mission of mercy.

Heroes of The Coast Guard - Link to Coast Guard Historian's site. Here in one place for all to see are most of the documented heroes of the Coast Guard and the services that preceded it. Be sure to read this when you have plenty of time.

Heroes Of The Sea – My First Patrol by Bob Reding – [996 words] - A tale of a something that many of us won’t admit existed

Hiawatha's Cousin By Floyd Stormer With Apologies to H. W. Longfellow. From The Mackinaw Weekly Rag, February 16, 1956. This doggerel expresses the frustrations of the crew and the townsfolk in the dark economic days of the mid 1950's.

Hide And Seek In Broad Daylight By Jack Eckert – [418 words] – Hiding in the Baltimore Memorial Stadium in your dress blues is not easy.

High Speed Approach by Floyd Stormer - [458 words] - The GITMO Gang isn't always right as this story illustrates.

History Lost For The Coast Guard History Foundation By © Tom Beard - [1722 words] - Originally Published in the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings _ Reprinted and Posted by Permission of the Author. Commander Beard has identified what may be the real reason the Coast Guard has trouble every year justifying it's existence. Maybe we don't keep track of what we are doing. The Army and Navy record their wars for all of posterity. The Coast Guard is always at war and records nothing! -OPINION-

History of Rescue Operations from US Coast Guard Air Station St. Petersburg 1935-1976 LINK

History of US Coast Guard Air Station Biloxi, Mississippi 1934-1947 LINK

HMCS Esquimalt/A Tragedy Told By Terrence C. Manuel [Link] - The Royal Canadian Navy is about the size of the Coast Guard and there has always been a bonding of these two services when shipmates meet. The Esquimalt was sunk off of Halifax, NS near the end of WWII. This is a first hand story written by one of the few survivors of the events leading up to and after the sinking. The author's pathos will touch you. This is well illustrated and contains a tribute to the RCN in the beginning. Site recommended by James McAllister.

Holy Stonin' By Jarard Powers - Holy Stonin wasn't a religious experience but it would give you religion.

Homecoming - Anonymous - [967 words] - Who knows where these things start? This one could be just as applicable to an old Coast Guard Cutter.

Honour To The Crew By Lance Pardo - Poem

Hook, Line and Shrimper By Larry Welker - Why I decided to strike for Quartermaster.

Hooligan Days By Sam Smith - Copyright 1998 Sam Smith - Reprinted by Permission of the Author – [10,962 words] – Sam’s Odyssey begins in 1961 and takes us through OCS, The Second Coast Guard District Office, and the CGC SPAR.

How a Boat Passes Me I'm Towing By Jack Fletcher - "I am generally daydreaming when all of a sudden the 24 footer I'm towing passes me by at a fairly high rate of speed on my port side............................"

How I Became a “Meat head” By Mike Brewer - In which our hero learns the difference between fels-naptha bar soap and tri-sodium phosphate.

How I Began And Ended My Coast Guard Career by Harry. T. “Tom” Serres - The reason for this thumbnail account of my life is to show other troubled kids that the military isn't the place for troublemakers.

How Not To Practice Mooring An Airplane (or what ever you want to call it) By Jerold L. (Jerry) Wanek - [450 words] - In this story the lack of practice makes imperfect....

How The Sweetgum Trained The FTG by David E. Riffle - [1010 words] - Only a Radioman could get away with this.

How To Become A 40' Coxswain In Three Easy Lessons By Jack Fletcher - I BS'd my way through.

How to Lose an Anchor by Jack Eckert - It is Harder Than You Think.

How to Obtain Instant Recognition - [174 words] - A tale of what not to do and the consequences of it.

How to Simulate Shipboard Life - [645 words] - For the Old Salt Longing for the Past.

How to Simulate Shipboard Life -- Navy Style - Purloined from the Internet by Jack -[896 words] - A Squid speaks out!

Howling Winds; Turbulant Waters© by J. C. Carney – [3926 words] – One of the better authors of factual Coast Guard literature chronicles the story of the daring rescue of the crew of the SS Ragny by the CGC ESCANABA.

Huff-Duff and the Coast Guard by Bruno Yoka - [645 words] - An article about early electronic detection equipment first used in WWII.

I Am Proud To Be A "COASTIE" By Doug Peterson - The author takes the effete individuals who demean the term, "Coastie" to task.

I Like The Navy - Submitted by John Cumming -- While not the usual Coast Guard fare of this site, it is worthy of being included within this collection -- Let it not be said that "Jack's Joint" is prejudicial to "Squids.

I Remember Jack Main - [693 words] - A Weatherman, more than just an "Old Salt."

I Remember Shishi by Pat Glesner - At the LORAN “C” Station Hokkaido Japan only Shishi seemed to be able to comfortably travel between our two worlds.

I Was A Teenaged Lighthouse Keeper ©2002 By Harry T. (Tom) Serres - This story was repeated many times over between 1939 and 1970 when young Coast Guardsmen were assigned (read that: sentenced) to isolated and semi-isolated lighthouses for duty.

I Was Recruited From French Frigate Shoals By Don Opedal -- I had a relationship with French Frigate Shoals that not only preceded my Coast Guard career but also may have been responsible for it!

Ice Battle - Author Unknown - From Doak Walker's 255 Site - Any old hand who rode a weather wagon to O.S. Bravo (Baker) or O.S. Able in the winter can attest to the truth of this article.

Ice Storm of 1962 Author Unknown - Another Story added to the Owasco Chronicles. From Doak Walker's 255 Site

I'd Like To Find The Guy That Named The Coast Guard By Chris Yachic - [497 words] -The melody has long since been lost but here are the words.

If You Build It They Will Come by Vince Patton – [2552 words] - This is a love story. It can not be defined as anything else.

IKEY - The Strong Monkey by Al Siegrist - [582 words] - Extracted from "We've Been There" by Esther Stormer ©1992 -- Reprinted by permission - Once upon a time in the Old Guard there was a cutter that not only had deck apes but a monkey as well

I'll Never Forget The Woodrush By R. Metz - Not one of the Coast Guard's better days.

Incoming Vessel On A Crash Course by Rick Bennett - [1473 words] - A lightship sailor fears two things at sea and on station; a storm that would engulf the small ship, and collision.

Into The Tempest - A Young Man Coming Of Age In The U. S. Coast Guard – [13,401 words] by Don Hutchings - While this story is fiction it is based on the experiences of the author 40 years ago. The language gets a bit “salty.” Not to worry as this was the language of the mess deck.

Iris' "Sweet" Anchors by Jim Oss - [588 words] - A tale of mischief and intrigue.

It Certainly Wasn't Fun, But...... by A Retired Marine Colonel – [2800 words] - There's an awful lot of wisdom here; read on. These words were spoken "extemporaneously" and recorded at an informal farewell for a retiring Marine Colonel.- OPINION

Italian Navy by J.C. Carney (as told to him by Jim Van Horn) - [357 words] - Those 255 sailors are at it again, this time it is a happening on KLAMATH.

It's a Ship ...By Edgar A. Guest – [226 words] This seems to be an appropriate poem to include.

It's Brasswork by Fred Morong - [522 words] - This poem stresses the bane of the light keepers life. Updated 3/17/00 with a postscript by Seamond Ponsart Roberts

Jack's Law by Jack - [183 words and a picture worth a 1000 words] - Time has proven Jack's Law devised 30 years ago. - OPINION

Jughaid by Jack Baines - [1489 words] - Life in the Depression.

Just A Haulin' And A Dumpin' By Scott Hemphill -- When the women came aboard ship life changed, not always for the better.

Just Doing My Job - The Grand Daddy Of All Sand Tales By Donald H. Ward.

Keeper John Arndt Anderson, USLSS© 1870-1926 By Alan Nelson –[1746 words] -Originally posted on the Internet on Bill Well’s site – Republished by permission of the author. - This is the Biography of a Norseman turned United States “Surfman” in the days when Great Lakes members of the service were laid off during the winter and earned $40,00 per month during the season……

Keepers Prayer and Other Lighthouse Poetry by Rod Nichols - LINK to Rod's Place.

Kickapoo CO's by Robert L. Smith - [146 words] - The ship's horsepower increases.

Killer Boats by Jim Gill - [618 words] -These boats were to much to do anything with.

Kimball, Au Naturel by Jim Oss - [164 words] - Bathing in the buff.

Kingfisher Crash Off San Francisco© May 9, 1943 By Ken Freeze - Republished By Permission - A Coast Guard Air Tragedy

Kodiak Kombat by Jack Hawkins - [488 words] - A tale of Coast Guard Chutzpah.

Lampedusa Living By Don Opedal - I wasn't good enough for the place as an ET3 but they found me as a Mustang Lieutenant.

Leadership Equals Seamanship and Vice Versa by C. Wm. Bailey - The Ambassador Story.

Leakage By Jerold L. Wanek - 344 Words – A novice junior petty officer diagnoses an apparent leak from an aircraft engine.

Leaks Galore By Charles L. Umpstead - A snippet of an engineer's life on a 311' Cutter.

Least Of The Indians By Jack Eckert -[758 words] - Here for a few years then gone and forgotten.

Lending a Helping Hand by Bob Comstock - [326 words] Why Sand Pepe's stay Sand Pepes.

Letters From The Land Of The Ice ©2000 By C. William Bailey - This story told in a series of letters and photographs is of the last voyage of the venerable Icebreaker Eastwind. It is a large file and is in the Adobe PDF format.

Letters To Home - Chase-I -- By C.W. "Bill" Bailey - One of a collection of letters written by Captain Bailey to his crewmen's families and to his friends. This letter discusses a very unusual rescue at sea.

Life on a Weather Ship - Link to Dan Driscoll, RD3's Home Page - LINK

Life Saving Men -- Written by an unknown Rockland Sea Captain Rockland Courier Gazette, August 20, 1889

Life Saving Service And Election Year Politics By Dave Gamage ©2000 -- All Rights Reserved -This article was received on November 6, 2000, the day before the presidential elections. This could not have come a a better time. (PS. Jack is a card carrying Republican.)

Lighthouse Keeper Wonders By Edgar A. Guest.

Lighthouse Keepers - An Old Saw - [177 words]

Lighthouse Letters - Compiled by Seamond Ponsart Roberts - Excerpts of letters and articles published in the now defunct "Maine Fisherman." These cover a two to three year span beginning in 1954, near the end of the era of Congressionally appointed Lighthouse Keepers. This is a very large file and takes a few minutes to load.

Lighthouses with Wet Basements by Charles W Lindenberg - [1936 words] - A descriptive account of a new seaman's experience on a lightship. More historical an account than most tales.

Lightship Heaven By Seamond -- A lightship man has died. I was thinking about a man who has put all his life and soul into these little boats - what it would be like in his heaven?

Lightships - by Ralph H. Davis - [235 words] - A foghorn sounds from the past

Lightships By The Numbers By Jim Gill - Confusin' but amoozin'.

Lightships Vs. Lighthouses By Jim Gill - OPINION - Why the lighthouses are saved and the lightships are left to rot?

Little Red Ship by Jim Gill - [6058 words] - Life on a Lightship.

Lobster Wars -The Half Moon's role in the 1967 Bahama's lobster wars. Link to the CGC HALF MOON website. Courtesy of John Murphy.

Long Hours at US Coast Guard Air Station St. Petersburg; 1948 LINK

Loran Tales - Wash Day By Jack Morrison - Water rationing wasn't the exclusive problem of the cutters in the Old Guard.

Loran Yarns - An Early Christmas Present By Jack Morrison - A rare Admiral's visit and inspection benefited the crew.

Loran Yarns – Port Clarence - The Journey Begins By Jack Morrison - The potential to become a "slick arm" Chief ET existed in the 1950's and 60's. One young ET learned that it wasn't a "free ride."

Loran Yarns - Port Clarence – The Journey Continues By Jack Morrison - The crew's ingenuity prevented the station from having a "dry" holiday period.

Lost And Found At Sea By Bob Urie - When her husband went over the side she could hear him yelling but could do little about it as she was not a sailor nor could she see well enough to find him in the water.

Lost At Sea!!! The McCulloch Disaster of '58© By J.C. Carney - A Bad Ocean Station Bravo and a crewman lost at sea are told about in this true story.

Lost on Voyages to Nowhere by W.R. Ehrman [2496 words] - From "Weve Been There" ©Esther Stormer - 1992 - A lengthily article dealing with the loss of certain lightships.

Mackinaw to get reprieve with technology refit© By Al Miller - Will this action save the old Great Lakes Icebreaker from being turned into razor blades?

Mad Man Muntz by George Manning - [432 words] - A tale from CG Radio Station NMF.

Mal De Mer By Pat Varallo - On manning the lee rail.

Man Overboard - Lou Putnoky - Link to www.tankbooks.com - This happened on D-Day.

Man Overboard! by Otto Freytag - [609 words] - A true tale from the "Old" Old Guard

Man Your Battle Stations By Bob Coppens - [134 words] This was no drill....

Manhattan Beach to Atlantic City, The Hard Way - 1942 By Bernard Lehrer - Have there ever been heard a comfy, feel good, story from that most notorious legal concentration camp (The Boot Camp as defined by Walter Winchell.)

Marijuana Moorings By Jack A. Eckert - A Swan song.

Market Time by Dave Moyer - [638 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

Matagorda's Last Voyage - by Gene Blackwell - Link to a story from Ken Laesser's site.

May Day - May Day Words No One Ever Wants To Hear By Warren J. Toussaint - A recollection of the sinking of the Carl C. Bradley on Lake Michigan and the recovery of two of her crewmen by the CGC Sundew.

Me, A Radioman? By Bill Price - [1047 words] - How and why I learned Morse code.

Memorial Day - 2002 By Robert Gaut

Memories Of Little River Light Station© By David P. Bartholomay - Life on this island was rarely boring or without its humorous moments.

Memories Of The Ariadne Sea Stories and Other Tales By Jory D. Luchsinger –[7,859 words] - A novelette length series of tales about life on a vintage cutter in the sixties.

Mercy Flight Ends In Death© - July 15, 1939 By Ken Freeze - Reprinted By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

Merrimac River Lifeboat Station - The Chief's Son Remembers By Dave Gamage - Sand, sand, and more sand, I had never seen so much sand......

Merrimac River Lifeboat Station by Jack Eckert - [2249 words] - 1949. The real "Old Guard" as seen through the eyes of an immature 17 year old.

Mess Cooking On The Mighty John C. By Jarard G. Powers - It is a shame most officers miss the opportunity to mess cook during their careers. It builds character.

Mike Dalton's Trip - by Dorothy Dalton - [285 words] - An old sailor takes a postman's holiday.

Milwaukee Breakwater Light Station - Circa 1956 - by Jack Eckert - [1600 words] - Another slice. .

Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse - Circa 1949-53 By Alfred Schreiber -[763 words] - The author tells of the death of veteran Chief Mike Rotta in this brief story...

Mine! by Ken Smith - [788 words] - A mine, a troopship, and a description of life aboard one in 1951.

Missile Crisis The Half Moon's adventure during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Link to the CGC HALF MOON website. Courtesy of John Murphy.

Modernize The Coast Guard -- OPINION -- "Grumblings From The Engineroom" is Editorial Comment from The Summer 2001 Edition Of The Old Salt's Journal, National News Letter of The Coast Guard Sea Veterans Of America.

Momentarily Alone In The Arctic By Don Opedal - The Venerable Westwind plays buoy tender in the far north.

Monster Maggie of the Mackinaw by Floyd Stormer - [386 words] - The mascot every crewman hated.

More How To Simulate Shipboard Life – Purloined From Fred’s Place.

More Tales Of Palau By Alan J. Neal - A.J. continues to submit these short stories and we continue to post them for your pleasure. What is "Dusty" Rhodes up to now?

Mother’s Cookies by Pat Glesner -- When some retire they go out to pasture. CRELE's take up something else........

Mr. Mazeika's Retirement by Jim Oss - [195 words] - A gift too late or was it?

MT. Mars USCG HU-16E Crash© - August 7, 1967 By Ken Freeze - Republished By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy

Murphy Goes on Patrol by Jack Eckert - [1787 words] - Nobody recognized Murphy when he skulked aboard the old "Weather Wagon" that day in January 1967.

Mutiny on a USLSS Lifeboat Station - Link to the Coast Guard site – LINK

My Coast Guard by Michael Williams - A third generation Coastie's career, a well put together site. - LINK

My Coast Guard Family By Dave Stone - 17 years old and on a big gray ship, I found myself accepted by an unlikely family

My Coast Guard Life During WW II by James C. Wynens - [2512 words] - A short recollection of the author's life in the Coast Guard at that time.

My First Day in The USCG By Victor Linderholm - I wanted action, I wanted security, I got Alemeda and RD2 Cooke.

My First Ride On The Taney by Dave Davis - A boot is baptized by a hurricane, a hated job, and Gitmo.

My Heart's at Sea Forever - Author Unknown - Those who frequent Jack's Joint knows Jack's love of poetry.

My Kind Of Navy Submitted by Bob Gaut - I wonder if they took sea showers or not. It's a Navy yarn, pretty far fetched but you'll enjoy it.

My Loran Tales #1 By Ned Stevens - The Plane That Landed When The Runway Was Closed.

My Loran Tales #2 By Ned Stevens - The day we discovered the snow was over 20 feet deep.

My Loran Tales #3 - High Jinks on Attu - By Ned Stevens - I guess you have to do something on an isolated loran station.

My Love Affair With The Tamoroa ??? By Bill Doherty - She was an ugly duckling but I loved her then and I love her now.

Nautical Terms and Phrases – Origin of many terms. [No word count] Link to the U.S. Naval Historical site.

Near Miss Missus By Ted McCormack - It could have happened when I had a choice between the Coast Guard Reserve and my new bride-lady.

Never Volunteer By Bernard Lehrer - Why did Bernie come all that way to the Pribilofs near the end of WWII?

New Boot And No Place To Go By Donald H. Ward --Trapped On A Surf Station in WWII.

New Veterans by Robert Gaut - Bob wrote this poem in honor of Veterans Day.

New Years Eve at Sea - [285 words] - A first log entry

Night Intercept by Art Ladley -- Originally published in the Pterodome - Reprinted by permission.

Night Mission by Art Ladley - Originally published in the Pterodome - Reprinted by permission.

Nine Wonderful Years In The Coast Guard by Andy Sallet - [5972 words] Mr. Sallet had an interesting "half-career" ......

Nineteen, Talk To Me! by Barrett T. "Tom" Beard ©1995 - [7414 words] -- Extracted from "Wonderful Flying Machines: A History of U.S. Coast Guard Helicopters" -- Naval Institute Press. Reprinted by permission of the author. The saga of Michael Odom, a REAL Coast Guard Hero.

No New Years Prize By Floyd Stormer -- Another Anecdote About The Most Hated Mascot in the Coast Guard.

No Receiver? No Parts? No Liberty! by Jack Baines - [166 words] - Long title, short story.

No, No, Not Me - The Red Cutter By Jim Gill - A set of orders to a “Red One” could inspire a number of clever countermeasures.

Not Quite Straight From The Horse's Mouth By Don Fulcher –[201 words] – A brief “R” rated sand tale.

Notice to Mariners and the Mining of Haiphong (1972) by Don Gardner - [579 words] - War is not fun

Now Cometh The Mighty Queen By Sidban the Salah – [1542 words] - Lost until now, this manuscript found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, tells of a time past when all was not comfortable.

O.C.S. By Jack A. Eckert – [4000 words] - A bit over the halfway point of my projected 20-year career I made a stab at becoming an officer. To become an officer I had to first jump through all of the hoops.

Oakey L. Alexandria: The Death Of A Great Vessel By Don Ward - The Retired Surfmen come to the rescue.

Ocean Stations - Part II - A Continuation -- Military.com Forums, annotated. abridged, scanned for uncouth language, and presented (per permission of Fred Siegel) for all to read by your friendly Webmaster, Jack.

Ocean Stations... - Military.com Forums, annotated. abridged, scanned for uncouth language, and presented (per permission of Fred Siegel) for all to read by your friendly webmaster, Jack. (23,032 words)

Ocean Stations.I.. - Military.com Forums, annotated. abridged, scanned for uncouth language, and presented (per permission of Fred Siegel) for all to read by your friendly webmaster, Jack. (23,032 words)

Ode To The Eastwind - Painting and Poem by Martin Sheridan – [138 words] - Gone but not forgotten.

Of Iron Men And A Wooden Ship -- Originally Titled "Nostalgia" By John Hutchins -- Maybe the Old 83 should have been used in the Bikini H-Bomb tests.

Old Chiefs -- Author Unknown - - Contributed By John Ingram -- I was thinking of all of you when I read this. Hope you get a "blast from the past" and a good chuckle like I did when you read it!

Old Jack the Lighthouse Mule - A Story for Kids of All Ages© By Elinor DeWire Many dray animals came and went in the old U.S. Lighthouse Service. This is the story of a mule named "Jack" who lived his working tears on South East Farallon Island.

Old Point Loma Lighthouse – Link to National Park Service Article on the Old Point Loma Light.

Old Sailors By Larry Dunn - As you know, Jack likes poetry and this ranks with the best on the site.

Old Salt’s Journal - Fall 1998

Old Salt’s Journal - Spring 1998

Old Salt’s Journal - Spring 1999

Old Salt’s Journal - Summer 1998

Old Salt’s Journal - Summer 1999

Old Salt’s Journal - Winter 1998

Old Salt’s Journal - Winter 1999

Old Salt's Journal - Fall 1999.

Old Salt's Journal - Winter 2002 - In Adobe .pdf format.

On Deck! The End of an Era - U. S. Coast Guard - April 29, 2003 - The Firebush makes her last run. Reposted from Military Dot Com

On Station - The Red Target By Jim Gill - Lightship duty was a dangerous occupation.

On Station-The Red Target By Jim Gill - A reflection

One Hell Of A Storm - by J.C. Carney -[3075 words] - When a sinking Spanish freighter sent out an SOS during a storm in heavy Atlantic seas, the Coast Guard Cutter ESCANABA II (WHEC-64) sprang into action.

One Last Message From a Queen by John R. Smith [357 words] A last goodbye from a lovely lady.

One Of A Kind - An Evergreen Tale By Paul McKenna as told to Jack - The Evergreen was a "oner" You loved her or you hated her.

One Time When DE Duty Really Stunk By Dan Lawson (as told to Jack) – [489 words] - A Coast Guard fish story ………

One Up (The Story of Travis Dooley) by Joe Rush - [2402 words] - Fortune sometimes smiles on the pure at heart.

Operation Torch By W.E. Ehrman - [1222 words] How the original SEBAGO and PONCHARTRAIN met their deaths.

Our Flag by Tom Adkins – LINK to Sky Angel’s site

Outwitting The Custom's Officials By Esther Stormer - Sometimes the "Federal Agents of the Customs" figured out ways of getting around the U.S. Custom's officials.

Owasco - by Dave Moyer - [1073 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

P.I.!! by Barry Fisher - [315 words] - A local politician decides to make a Coast Guard operational decision...

Painting by Dave Moyer - [1160 words] - The Owasco Chronicles.

Patrol Boat CG-40381 By C.W. Lindenberg - A fond memory of a great boat.

Patrol Frigates - [730 words] - Coast Guard Manned Escorts from WWII.

Patton's Creed - People, Passion, Performance - By Linda D. Kozaryn - American Forces Press Service - MCPOCG Vince Patton will be retiring in mid July (2002) In this article he reflects back on his highly successful Coast Guard Career. - A good read - Jack

Paul Nusbaum is Suitably Impressed By Don Gardner - [1070 words] - Back in the days of CW the author tells how......

PCS From Island to Island By Mark Wood - Airplane riding in the early 1970's was a real joy as the author can attest to.

PH-2 Flying Boat by Charles E. Spencer - [474 words] - Before the helicopter there was the "flying boat."

Phooey on Bluie by J.H. Coon (Deceased) - [423 words] - A bit of doggerel from the big war.

Pilot Boat Duty By Donald H. Ward -- The rigors of Pilot Boat duty during WWII in Portland, Maine.

Pilot Island - 1955 - by Jack Eckert - [2000 words] - A slice of lighthouse life. - With a 1999 postscript.

Pirates - Passed on by John Ingram - [291 words] –

Plan of the Day by Nick Pusloski - [430 words] - Running a Coast Guard family.

Portland Maine: Such a Friendly Town - A ribald (true)story By John Russell - Story #1 of the Crumby Tales of the Cookie Cutter - The reason so many Coasties elected to remain in this frozen city of the North for years and years is finally exposed.

Portsmouth Harbor Lifeboat Station by Jack Eckert - [1203 words] - 1949-50 - The misadventures continue.

Postwar Reminisces - Pacific Buoy Tenders By C.W. "Bill" Bailey - From Tupelo to Walnut to Redbud in a few short WWII years.

Preface to Coast Guard Stories - Volume I By Jack Eckert & Don Gardner - This is the preface to the book.

Quick Thinking On Miah Maull By Dave Moyer – [1624 words] --“here I was…wearing my new First Class Quartermaster stripes bouncing along on a forty-four footer approaching my new station, Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse

R. O. N by Jerold L. Wanek - [697 words] - So here we were, no clothes except our flight suits, and no money.

Radio Beacon Repair - ERS Boston Style by Joe Rush - [537 words] - A newly minted ET3 learns the ropes from a crusty old ET2.

Radioman School By Don Gardner - [331 words] - Why I don't give advice about Hollywood anymore.

Radiomen at Large in St. Johns by Scott Hemphill Old Guard - New Guard - 'tis the same I say – Jack

Real Chiefs - Contributed by Don Gardner

Recalling the 1940's Aboard the Taney by Warren Hartman - [550 words] Sharing his remembrances.

Red Apple Chiefs And Sock Liberties By Dan Lawson – [516 words] - The Coast Guard was a different organization in the years following World War II – The author alludes to a few things probably never heard of in today’s service………

Red With Embarassment - [196 words] - A tale of one ship's shame. OPINION

Re-enlistment Blues by Don Gardner -[691 words] - The ball is dropped at the San Diego Air Station.

Reflections on a 1930's Enlistment by Robert C. Smith - [837 words] - Looking backward to the Coast Guard of the depression.

Relief Lightship (WAL-505) - By John Yurga from the New Jersey Scuba Diving Site.

Remembering A Sea Rescue Gone Awry by Christine Clarridge Seattle Times staff reporter – From The Seattle Times - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - May 30, 1999 - [3600 words] - Generally this site only posts stories written by Coast Guardsmen, Lighthouse Keepers, Dependents, etc. in an effort to show the everyday Coast Guard through the eyes of the people who have lived it. An exception is being made for this story, the story of a young SA who survived a disaster.

Remembering Boot Camp, Curtis Bay By Donald H. Ward - " Well, I might just as well have stayed home for what was issued—the clothing locker was out of uniforms."

Remembering The North Star Originally Titled, "When They Were Young" By Mike Bower - There was a last wooden hull ship in the Coast Guard and this was it. This article is from “We’ve Been There” by Esther V. Stormer ©1992 – Reprinted By Permission.

Republic of Nantucket Coast Guard News --Throughout the country there are a number of interesting Coast Guard related newsletters. It would be nice if somebody amassed them and posted them on a specialized website. This is an example of one of the newsiest and it is hoped you enjoy as we did.

Rescue At Sea - Navy Style - Author Unknown -- Contributed by John Ingram - It has been awhile since we ran a story about our Big Brother service so here goes –

Rescue of The Bermuda Sky Queen – From Guardians of The Sea – [word count unknown] - Link to Ken Laessar’s site.

Rescue off China© -Crash of CG PBM-5G 84738 - January 18, 1953 By Ken Freeze - Republished By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy

Rescued By a Buoy© by Elinor DeWire - Reprinted from Mariners Weather Log, Fall 1995. - Reprinted herein by permission of the author - Ms. DeWire is a prolific author who has kindly granted JACK'S JOINT access to her lighthouse story collection. Visit her at Sentinel Publications, her website.

Reveille By Jerold L. Wanek –[212 words] - Only the chief and the parrot can say for sure if this is a true story – What do you think?

Rifle Range Liberties By Pat Varallo - Unlike the "Rounders" of the same era on the other ships who caused a populace to lock up their daughters, these guys had a beer party.

Right Ship - Wrong Time - by Charles Spencer - [546 words] This could only happen to a ..........

River Gossip - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.

Rosie The Riveter By Bernard Lehrer - I think I met her in Seattle but then again......

Rotten Groton by the Thames by Don Gardner - [743] words - A memoir of "the Boot Camp with Books."

Routine Action At Sea from Brian Bailey's Calypso Site - [1440 words] - A daring rescue by the CGC CALYPSO during WWII.

Rum And Coca Cola By Harold Doan - Junior Officers of another era will remember the mandatory correspondence courses and the semi- annual officer's tests, i.e., Two Strikes and you are OUT..

Safety Last by W.E. Ehrman - [985 words] - This tale occurred before the Coast Guard got serious about boating safety.

Saga of the CGC Modoc by T.R. Sargent and B.M. Chiswell from Bering Sea Patrol Reunion Association website. Modoc witnesses torpedoing of the German Battleship Bismark. - LINK

Sailing Date By Fred J. Shortall - A nostalgic poem submitted by Tom Serres.

Sailing Under the Black Flag By Jack Eckert - [744 words] - A Real Life Adventure.

Salty Jack by Bob Gaut - [437 words] - A bit of doggerel submitted by a retired school superintendent.

SAR by ANON - [220 words] - Please note our disclaimer on the front page.

Saved By A Beer By Mike Higgins -- Or a tale of crime and punishment -- Originally Published in "We've Been There" ©Esther Stormer - 1992 - Reprinteded by Permission.

Sea Going Boot Camp by Jim Donahue - [221 words] - A short yarn from the CGC DUANE'S early years

Sea Stories from the Mighty "I" - Late ‘77 to early ‘78 - By R. L. Schmidt. Reminisces of the Cutter Ingham and my life aboard her.

Seagoing Snapshots - A Sea Story by Tom Grabowski Originally Appeared in “THE HELM” Duane Association Newsletter – Spring 2003 – Republished by Permission.

Semper Forgotus or, How Many Branches Are There? By Katherine Hoffman - A young college student discusses the anonymity of the Coast Guard.

Semper Paratus - by CAPT Francis S. Boskerck - [210 words] - Complete Lyrics of the Coast Guard Marching Song

Senator Glenn Responds - John Glenn - Not just Coast Guard, just applicable.

September 11, 2001 - Robert Gaut

Shanghaied - A sea story by Paul McKenna as told to Jack - [400 words]

Ship Handling 101 By Chuck Kircher -- Kaa-rrrruuch -- That master of ship handling, the Chief Engineer, demonstrated how to tear up a dock.

Shoot Out On West Patrol By Donald H. Ward -- Had to do something to breake the monotony.

Sinbad Has A Snoot Full by Otto Freytag - [379 words] -This is one of the scores of tales told about "Sinbad."

Sinbad The Four-Legged Sailor by Larry Baker - [1379 words] - [From the U.S. Coast Guard "Retiree Newsletter", July 1988, Issue 7-88]

Single Life In Hawaii By Richard G. Fleming -- This poem tells what it is like.

Sinking by Dave Moyer - [1881 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

Sinking of the US Coast Guard Cutter Magnolia; 1945 LINK

Sleeping Twixt The Hawse Pipes On The Cedar - Submitted By Charles L Umpstead - A "Newby on the Cedar has a rude awakening.

Slightly Irregular (Author's name withheld by request) - [2674 words] - The life, times, and adventures of a German National who became a career Coastie. ...

Slightly Salty Stuff - Submitted By Larry Stefanovich (Who knows where he got it from.)

SM1 Douglas Munro's Actions at Guadalcanal By Ray Evans This article as been lifted from the MCPOCG's site, slightly modified and reformatted for Jack's Joint -- It is reproduced here by permission -- No Coast Guard anthology would be complete without an article or reference to SM1 Douglas Munro, our foremost Coast Guard hero.

Snafu In Chicago By Ron Reynolds – [474 words] - Murphy showed up one day in Chicago along with the Northern Inspectors.

Snipes Lament - [408 words] - Words From the Forgotten Ones

Snow And Blizzard By William A. Ogletree - The narrative continues with a tale of Labrador husky culture.

Snow Storm At Sea By Donald H. Ward -- The Pilot came close to putting us on the rocks.

Some little known American military history - Contributed By Bob Gaut - An Anecdote about the USS Constitution.

Sometimes Size Does Make a Difference By Dave Moyer - [918 words] - Another tale from the Owasco Chronicles.

Sometimes You Just Don't Know Who You Are Talking To by Paul R. McKenna - [339 words] - A Weather Wagon sea story of yore.

Song of a Sea Sick Sailor - [167 words] - A True to life poem

SOS -[156 words] – If it ain’t Save Our Ship, What is it?

SOS Relay by John R. Smith [594 words] Suddenly through all the static came the three dreaded letters.

SP Duty by Jack Eckert - [1563 words] - A very young EN3 pulls his first SP Duty.

Spacious Skies Of The Columbia Shuttle By Bob Gaut - A Tribute to the lost souls of the Columbia Space Shuttle.

Spectacle Reef Light Station--1953 By Alfred E. Schreiber -- Here as an article that will appeal to all of the romantics who would love to live on a lighthouse.

Spirit of the Hamilton By George Birch -Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine. - A thumbnail history of the life and death of the CGC Hamilton (WPG-34) follows the poem.

SS American Importer Rescue By Jay Schmidt - Reprinted Courtesy of The Duane Newsletter.

SS Dorchester's Call Sign Reissued by Bruno Yoka - [582 words] - An incident from World War II days haunts the author.

Stale Bread And Hill Billy Music By Ward Davies, Jr. Now it can be told, what the Chief Belly Robber didn't want us to know.

Stay Inboard of the Bight by John Russell - [552 words] - Safety First on this Lighthouse Tender of yore.

Steering Casualty Drill(s) - Bill Shaffer - [219 words] - Ensigns always have an answer.

Strange Experiences, Weird Places and Impossible Situations by L. Bradford - [363 words] - Climbing a ships mast is almost like climbing a tree or is it?

Strange Visitor The Half Moon's encounter with an unusual visitor while on Ocean Station Bravo in 1952. Link to the CGC HALF MOON website. Courtesy of John Murphy.

Stuff Happens by Dave Moyer - From The Owasco Chronicles -- It is bad enough when you miss the target but when you miss the whole country, that is something else.

Submarine Duty in the U.S. Coast Guard By Donald H. Ward - It looked like it, sometimes felt like it but when you were shot at with friendly fire .............

Surfmen - Various sources - [313 words]

Swim Call By John R. Long - A Bermuda liberty that might have caused an international incident.

Swiss Army Knife Or Pen Knife - By Jack A. Eckert - OPINION - Should the Government keep it’s trusty old Swiss Army Knife or throw it away and just carry a penknife?

Taking on Water by John J. Miller – [229 words] - What was said was not what was meant…….

Tales From The Pocatello (PF-9) By Sam Guill -- What do you do with a newly built, Coast Guard Manned, Patrol Frigate? That's easy, send it on Weather Patrol in the North Pacific.This article is from “We’ve Been There” by Esther V. Stormer ©1992 – Reprinted By Permission.

Tales of Palau By Alan J. Neal – Stories are still being added.

Tales Of The Past by Joe Ferguson - It began during the Great Depression when the District's enlistment quota was six men per year .................

TAPS – Contributed by Ray Wells –[359 words] - A few words about how the playing of Taps at military funerals came about. Applicable to all services.

Taps for the FIR by Charles W. Lindenburg - [1594 words] - One of the last of the Buoy Tenders of the USLHS is put to bed.

Tare Uncle -- Over and Out by Don Gardner - [1240 words] - A retired Radioman shudders over circuit discipline of yore.

Team Forward, Team Coast Guard© By Lisa D. Healy - A lot of people on a ship support those on the front lines of the ship.

Team Vicksburg Battles Storm To Rescue Sailors In Distress - Author Unknown - In which the Cruiser Vicksburg goes to the rescue like a Coast Guard Cutter to her great credit.

Telephone Men - Author Unknown - [241 words] - At last, the EM(Tel)s are heard from. No Coast Guard anthology would be complete without them.

Tending the Milos Reefer by Pat Glesner - Hanging around the grounded wreck was wrecking morale as representatives of several government agencies continued their bickering. A routine AL-PAT became a HELL-PAT.

Terror Strikes By Bob Gaut

Tet by Dave Moyer - [867 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

The “Mike” Boat or The World Doesn't Get Much Smaller Than This By Dave Moyer - Another tale from the Owasco Chronicles.

The 83 footer By Robert Balsdon, SC2[1][1] (WPB-83379) - A brief ode to a wooden ship

The Arctic Cruise Of The U.S. Coast Guard Eastwind (WAGB-279) 1 May - 19 September 1952 by Benjamin B. Blodget - This is a well written and illustrated account of this cruise. It will require more than an average amount of time to open.

The Average Military Man - Author Unknown

The Back Story Of An Engagement By Claude William “Bill” Bailey - (4,000 words) - Danielle Steele couldn't have told this story any better.

The Big Roll by Mark Wood - I heard someone yelling to top of his lungs, "we're going to broach!"

The Bottle And The Marine By Mike Spilman - Coasties never get into this kind of mischief unless they are helped by Marines.

The Case Of The Missing Motor By Jack Morrison - A time when the friendly confines of Ocean Station Bravo were preferable to another long day in St. Johns.

The Center Of Buoyancy For An Ensign By Harold Doan - This is what happens when "G" is higher than "B."

The Chief and the Artist By Ted McCormack - Was this really just a mistake?

The Coast Guard by Emily Huntington Miller From a 1901 CYR Reader Book Six Published by Ginn and Company (Poem)

The Coast Guard Story Previously published as "The Misnomer." All Rights Reserved ©June 2001 by Charles R Harris -- America's Longest Myth—born nearly a century ago—is still believed to this day. In 1915 Congress married the U.S. Lifesaving Service to America’s oldest seagoing service: The Revenue Marines. Then it changed their name to U.S. Coast Guard and a myth was born. - This article is somewhat dated but is certainly worth the time that it takes to read it. Linked by permission to the CGC Rockaway site.

The Coast Guard's Finest Hour - By Robert A. Hamilton - Surfboat that rescued 32 in storm visits Academy. ©New London Day - 2002

The Colonel Has His Say By Jack Eckert - There was no doubt who was in charge that memorable night

The Cookie Cutter Cuts It - Story #2 of Crumby Tales of the Cookie Cutter. Ocean Station (or, Welcome To The Coast Guard!) By John Russell - A young ET may be longing for the jungles and rice paddys of 'Nam' after his first weather patrol on the Cook Inlet.

The Copra Run By Jerome Friedman (Courtesy of Ken Laessar's Coast Guard History Site) Memories of Liberty on Ozamis, P.I

The Curious Cat by Chuck Kircher - One Life down and Eight more to go

The Cutter - [157 words] - An Anonymous poem

The Cutterman And The Pirate -Author Unknown - [168 words] - This early sea story may be a fabrication….

The Day The Air Force Bombed Our Loran Station By Alan J. Neal - Friends like those Air Force guys we don't need.

The Day The Coast Guard Hanged A Man -By Robert F. Barber - [1114 words] - Once again the Coast Guard proves it is a CAN Do organization.

The Deckie's Revenge By Jack Morrison - Storming Norman learned the hard way not to fool with the deck force.

The Demise Of Buffalo Lightship No. 82 - Link to Buffalo Light, Guardian of the Harbor - © Aaron T. Heverin & Michael N. Vogel. No part may be copied without permission.

The Differential Theory of US Armed Forces (Snake Model)

The Eagle Has Awoken - By J.C. Carney

The Ersatz Boatswain's Mate by Joe Rush -[1061 words] - A mistake of monstrous proportions was almost made.

The European Vacation (Cadet Cruise 1970) By John Russell - Story #4 of Crumby Tales of the Cookie Cutter. We old salts tell a lot of tales about some of the harsher experiences we had in the CG. This story is about A Cadet Cruise to Europe, a little more fun than a weather patrol.

The Famous Goehring Incident By Albert Phaneuf - Originally Appeared in “The Helm” Duane Association Newsletter – Spring 2003 – Republished by Permission. Ripley was almost right. This is the real story.

The Fatal Voyage of the Puffin By Stan Barnes and Jay Schmidt - A little rowboat set out to cross the Atlantic Ocean and never made it

The Final Patrol of US Coast Guard Patrol Boat CG-245 – 1935 LINK

The First Cruise of Lightship 196© By C. William Bailey - Ferrying a brand new lightship from Bay City, Michigan to Boston. A tale to make an old RM cringe.

The First Loss: The Sinking Of The USCGC Hamilton By Dr. Robert M. Downing -- Link to Coast Guard Historians page. The Hamilton was one of the 327" Secretary Class ships. There are several allusions to this ship throughout this website. The story is being used to put events relating to this ship into historical perspective.

The Flag - My Original Sin By Jim Orrock -- Those of us who have been to Bermuda during the hey day of Coast Guard Cutter visits can empathize with the authors plight.

The Floater By Jeffrey Maxon - [476 words] - Now it can be told – Thirty years later

The FS-156 By William. R. Bentler. A brief WWII recollection of life on a small freighter in the Pacific.

The FS362 - The Return To Manila By Jerome Friedman - This Coast Guard manned Army Transport was the first ship to drop anchor in Manila after the Japanese had been defeated there towards the end of WWII.

The Fund Raiser By Don Opedal - What a way to spend hard earned money. Jack would have contributed his entire officer's mess savings and poker winnings from Ocean Station Bravo to this cause.

The Garbage Barge Collision By Gerry Sweet - The Old Man retired in August of 1975 and became a schoolteacher in Maine.

The Germination Of A Successful U.S. Army Career By John F. O'Brien - [278 words] - When a Coastie ends up permanently in another service there must be a good reason....

The Goehring Incident By Al Phaneuf - Courtesy of Paul Turner and the Duane Newsletter - A true story told by an eyewitness.

The Great Bear Fight by Joe Rush - [3371 words] - Something momentous was about to happen that would, in later years, take on truly historic proportions when recounted by the participants.

The Groton Years By Jack A. Eckert -- Sometimes during a career one gets a good break; mine was the three years I spent as an Engineman School Instructor at the Groton Training Station.

The Hajj by Jack Eckert - [573 words] - A pilgrimage is made to "Fred's Place." - OPINION

The High Speed Fire Drill Caper By Louis Moore - Wherein "Louie's" wit saved he and his mates at least one stripe.

The Hooligans Navy Takes Care Of Its Own By Mike Spillman - I don't think this is meant to be a tribute but I think it is - Jack.

The Job I Really Liked by Jack Eckert -[1307 words] - When I was station engineman on Sturgeon Bay Canal Station.

The Kaloosh Maker By Charles L. Umpstead -- A sea story as told by Chief Boatswains Mate Wilbur Mathis, Officer-in-Charge of the Toms River lifeboat station, Seaside N J in the spring of 1949.

The Labradormen's Rescue© By William A. Ogletree - Coast Guardsmen rescued under adverse conditions in the winter in Labrador.

The Last Holdout By Lew Hayes -- Extracted from Evening Colors. April, 2002. We return to Palau for another tale.

The Last Mission Of The Alexander Hamilton By William A. Ogletree - The HAMILTON is lost.

The Lightship - by Guy G. Robbins - [199 words] - A tribute in verse to the Vineyard Lightship which went down with all hands during a hurricane.

The Loss of HH-3F 1471 and Its Crew - August 7, 1981 By Ken Freeze - Republished By Permission - A Coast Guard Aviation Tragedy.

The Lost Squadron And Comanche Bay By Bruno Yoka - How Comanche Bay in Greenland got her name.

The Love Boat By Bernard Lehrer - My WWII adventures in the Coast Guard continue with a boat ride to Ketchikan.

The Makings Of A Radioman By William A. Ogletree - WO's story begins; how he progressed through the CCC to his entry in the Coast Guard and his ultimate transfer to the Alexander Hamilton.

The Mallow Meets Number 10 Buoy By Rory Schultz - The story of the Mallow's unfortunate meeting with one of its own buoys.

The Men Who Fight Below - Unknown - Contributed By Josh Few.

The Men With The Pin - The U.S. Submarine Combat Patrol Pin By Bob "Dex" Armstrong - Too good an article to let go by.

The Mighty "O" -- By Victor D. Phillips -- Another Tale of the CGC Owasco

The Mighty Cutter Fetus By Seamond Ponsart Roberts - A Coast Guard Cutter is rechristened by someone unlikely.

The Mighty 'E'astwind by Warren D. Bonner - A poem.

The Military Life And Opinions Of Pasquale "Pat" Varalla By Pat Varalla - Herein you will learn what VUMS means and other delights. Pat was in the Army and in the Coast Guard. His Army duty is of particular interest.

The Moose by Jack A. Eckert - [635 words] A Coast Guard career could have ended that cold January day in Alaska.

The Most Unforgettable Chief I Ever Knew by Don Gardner - [ 1943 words] - Mischief was his middle name.

The Mysterious Running Lights By Donald H. Ward - The author thought he was seeing things.

The Mystery Of The Three Legged Dog - Do you know anything about this WWII pet?

The Navy, Marines, and Coasties at “Gitmo” By Charles L. Umpstead -- Life on detached duty with the Fleet Training Group at Guantanamo Bay.

The Only Ever Coast Guard Oiler by Fred Goodwin - [2698 words] - When the CG borrowed an Oiler to transport asphalt from Guam to Yap

The Origin Of A Common Word - Unknown - Does anybody have a better explanation?Stern View

- Our poet laureate, Bob Gaut, poetically tells us of a different kind of cruise.

The Other Protester - Author Unknown