THE ESCANABA
By John Lindenmolder
Originally published in the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine - Volume 10 - No. 16 dtd October, 1943
Oh gallant, staunch, courageous ship,
And your most faithful crew,
With pride and honor in our hearts,
We bid farewell to you.
The noble sacrifice you made,
For us will always be,
A memorable chapter in,
The saga of the sea.
Beneath the North Atlantic's waves,
In tranquil slumber lie,
Your loyal crew, whose valiant deeds,
Will never, never die.
Couched on the ocean's bottom rests,
A ship that went to sea,
With officers and men who faught
And died for liberty
For us there'll be an empty space,
When comes the close of day,--
A void, no other ship can fill
Where once you anchored lay.
Fond hearts will cherish memories,--
And eyes will gently weep,
For those who with you slumber in,
The "Cradle of the Deep."
May we, like they to whom we pay,
This humble tribute, give
And toil and serve and sacrifice,
So freedom's cause may live.
With praise undying in our hearts,
And prayers upon our lips,
For men like these, who sail the Seas,
And perish with their ships.