COAST GUARD CLUB NEWSLETTER

August 2ØØ1

WHO RECEIVES THIS NEWSLETTER? Members who have an upcoming birthday, each potential Coast Guard Club recruit, & any Coastie I write to. This Newsletter is posted on the Web at http://home1.gte.net/ke7a/index.htm, www.jacksjoint.com & at www.fredsplace.org. If you can receive e-mail files, are a member of the Coast Guard Club, & would like a copy of this Newsletter each month, please advise.

E-MAIL: My address is CGC@triad.rr.com &ad4pt@arrl.net. If you have e-mail service, please let me know & I will add you to Appendix E of the call book. Additionally, Dick Anderson, ke7a@gte.net, &I need to know when you obtain or cancel e-mail, change providers or addresses &would appreciate it if you would please keep us updated.

Cape Cod, Mass. CG aircrews transported 2 fishermen to shore in 2 separate incidents off of Cape Cod. The crew of the 110-foot, fishing vessel LIBERTY was 160 miles off Cape Cod when they notified the Coast Guard that a 40 year-old male crewmember was experiencing abdominal pain. An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod flew out to the LIBERTY's position, hoisted the man onto the aircraft &transported him to Cape Cod Hospital. Later, the CG was notified by the 85-foot fishing vessel ACT FOUR, that a 44-year old male was suffering from a possible heart attack. An HH-60 Jayhawk was dispatched to the ACT FOUR's position, 130 miles off Cape Cod.

Florida: The CG has detained 3 for violation of the South Florida Security Zone. The 3 were on board a 23-foot vessel that violated the security zone &entered Cuban territorial seas. The vessel ignored verbal warnings from the CG &entered Cuban territorial seas where it stayed for approximately 60 minutes before returning to international waters. The vessel was directed to come alongside the CGC SPENCER &the 3 people on board embarked the SPENCER &were detained. The crew of the SPENCER will transport the 3 detainees & their vessel to Key West. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has ordered the vessel seized & the individuals released. This matter has been referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

JUNEAU: The CGC Liberty crew responded to a charter boat captain's radio distress call about 12 miles south of Angoon in Chatham Strait this morning. The 96-foot Alaskan Song, with 11 people aboard, struck rocks &started flooding at 8 a.m. The CGC Liberty crew, patrolling 5 miles away, responded to the skipper's request for help. Meanwhile, the Alaskan Song's crew beached the boat in Chaik Bay to keep it from sinking. The Liberty, a 110-foot patrol boat based in Auke Bay near Alaska's capital city, dispatched a small boat &crew to transfer people from the Alaskan Song. The Liberty crew &three Alaskan Song crewmembers used 2 dewatering pumps to fight the flooding. A CG helicopter crew from Sitka delivered additional pumps.

JUNEAU: The CG, along with other state &federal law enforcement agents, are investigating the alleged homicide of a Coast Guard officer on St. Paul Island in the Aleutian Chain. Investigators are seeking clues into the shooting death of Chief Warrant Officer Timothy A. Harris, 33, commanding officer at Long Range Navigation Station (LORAN) St. Paul. A Coast Guardsman at the station found Harris’ body on CG property at the station. Initial evidence indicated that Harris suffered several gunshot wounds. Local law enforcement officials have a suspect in custody. “As a small, humanitarian service in the lifesaving business, we’re grieving the tragic, violent loss of one of our team members & offering heartfelt-condolences to Mr. Harris’ family,” said Capt. Richard Houck, 17^th CG District Chief of Staff. “We’ll do what we can for the Harris family during their time of personal strife”. LORAN Station St. Paul is located about 775 miles southwest of Anchorage. Harris is survived by a wife &two young children who reside in Louisiana. Coast Guard personnel assigned to the St. Paul Coast Guard facility serve one-year tours without family members.

JUNEAU, Alaska – A CGAS Sitka rescue helicopter hoisted four rafters who became stranded on an island in the middle of Herbert River. The CG Jayhawk helicopter crew airlifted the 4 to Juneau where an awaiting ambulance crew treated them for mild hypothermia. The rafters encountered trouble when their rafts overturned about 2 miles from the trail opening on the Herbert River.

WASHINGTON: USCG helicopter rescue swimmers now have their own special uniform insignia to recognise their unique & dangerous duties. The first set of the newly authorised ‘helicopter rescue swimmer insignia’, or ‘wings’, were presented to the senior rescue swimmer in the CG, Master Chief Aviation Survival Technician (AST) Keith Jensen, at CG headquarters in Washington, D.C. today. “It’s an honour to receive these wings on behalf of all Coast Guard rescue swimmers,” said Jensen. “This special insignia recognises the unique position of the helicopter rescue swimmer &I’m proud to wear them,” he said. The new rescue swimmer wings were authorised by the Commandant on July 13. The insignia depicts crossed rescue swimmer flippers superimposed on a ‘cross of life’ (widely used as a symbol for EMT’s) representing the swimmer’s EMT skills, &gold wings denoting aviation.

NEW JERSEY: The CGC Mako, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Cape May, N.J., seized 2 catches valued at more than $20,000 during two boardings this week. During a law enforcement patrol off the New Jersey coast, the Mako's crewmembers boarded the fishing vessel Dixie Dandy &found evidence they had been fishing in an area closed to scallop fishing. The Dixie Dandy had almost 2000 pounds of scallops as well as other fish, all worth more than $11,000. The National Marine Fisheries Service ordered the seizure &the Mako escorted the vessel to Cape May. Once at the dock, the Dixie Dandy was found to be in poor condition &ordered to stay in port until extensive repairs could be made. In addition, two of her crew were illegal aliens &were arrested by the Immigration & Naturalization Service.

ALAMEDA: The crew of the CGC Active discovered more than 13 tons (26,397 pounds) of cocaine aboard a 152-foot Belize-flagged fishing vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, nearly 1,500 miles south of San Diego. This seizure is the largest cocaine seizure in maritime history. The fishing vessel Svesda Maru was originally sighted April 28 by a U.S. Customs Service P-3 aircraft &then identified by a USCG C-130 flying counter-narcotics detection &monitoring patrols under the control of Joint Interagency Task Force West. The Svesda Maru was intercepted by a U.S. Navy guided missile frigate, homeported in Everett, Wash., with a CG law enforcement detachment from San Diego aboard. During the space accountability search, they discovered unexplained discrepancies in below deck spaces. After 5 days of searching, the LEDET had accounted for most of the spaces on the Svesda Maru but could not access a large area beneath the fish holds. When the Active arrived, they relieved the LEDET. An augmented boarding team from the Active concentrated their search on the fish hold area where they discovered the cocaine in a secret compartment. The contraband tested positive for cocaine &was transferred to the Active as evidence. The Svesda Maru was seized &its crewmembers, two Russians &eight Ukrainian nationals, were also transferred to the Active. The fishing vessel was seized &taken in tow to San Diego. CG crews regularly checked the vessel for safety &had to de-water the area where the contraband was located until it could be completely measured &removed. This seizure is the third cocaine seizure by the CG in the waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean in the last week. More than 33,000 pounds of cocaine has been seized during this period. The largest seizure prior to this case was 24,000 pounds seized by a USCG LEDET from the Nataly I in June 1995.

CGC POINT GLASS was taken out of service at Station Ft. Lauderdale after 38 years of service. Commissioned in 1962 as a ‘C’ class 82-ft. patrol boat, she will be replaced by the new 87-ft. Marine Protector class patrol boat. The crew prefers to think of the boat as being ‘tour complete’, moving on to further assignment with NOAA.

FOR SALE: Slightly used buoy tender. 180-ft. buoy tender MALLOW, built in 1944, berthing for 49 enlisted &8 officers. Start your own Lighthouse Service! Vessel available for immediate inspection. Vessel is sold ‘as is, where is’, title is free &clear of all liens. The successful bidder is to forward $10,000 deposit within 3 days of close of auction. Located at Harborview Marina in Baltimore, MD., bids start at $125,000. To bid, go to http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBay.

COAST GUARD CLUB CALL BOOK: It is bound in a spiral binder &includes the latest changes. As of today the book is 1” thick—186 sheets of paper. If you want a copy of the call book, send a cheque for $15.ØØ payable to Don Gardner.

COAST GUARD NETS: The Coast Guard Radio Amateur SSB Net is on the air each Saturday from 12ØØ-13ØØ ET on 143ØØ (14313 alternate). At 13ØØ ET the Net shifts to 14327 & continues, usually for about 3Ø minutes. Dick Anderson, KE7A, in the Dallas-Ft Worth area, is the NCS. A CW Net with Fred Goodwin, K7LF, as NCS, is on 14Ø52/7Ø52 & runs simultaneously.

NEW COAST GUARD BOOK: D R Peterson, our vessel historian, reports his book U.S. Lighthouse Service Tenders, was released 7 August 2ØØØ. This is the first book to feature all of the lighthouse tenders &auxiliary craft of the USLHS. 9.5”x9.5” hardbound, ISBN 1-885457-12-X, price $39.95 + $5.00 shipping. I bought the book &recommend it. You may order direct from the Eastwind Publishing, 4302 Baildon Road, Trappe, MD 21673, fone 41Ø 476 4469, e-mail: eastwind@goeaston.net or web page www.eastwind.com or www.amazon.com.

COAST GUARD STORIES: Check Out: Jack’s Joint, www.jacksjoint.com/, which has interesting Coast Guard short stories & scuttlebutt. I used selected short stories from this site for my version of Coast Guard Stories, Vol. I (volume II is pending). I will print the stories on my printer, put it in a spiral binder & send you a copy postage paid for $19.95.

QUA? If you have a news item of interest to our members, please send it in. Want to swap, sell, trade ham gear?

COAST GUARD PRODUCTS: Shop at the Academy Exchange, www.shopcoastguard.com/acatalog/

REUNIONS

CGCs ABSECON & CHINCOTEAGUE: First reunion October 2001 at Norfolk, VA. For info. contact John R Peters, 1831 Volvo Parkway, Chesapeake, VA, fone 757 479 ØØØØ, e-mail: odupeters@aol.com or Harry S Huggins, 5411 Greenfield DR, Portsmouth, VA 237Ø3, fone 757 484-37ØØ, e-mail: muss4poppie@cs.com. (Info from EMCM J R Peters)

BERING SEA PATROL-ALASKA VETERANS: 11-14 September. Contact Dicj Juge, Chairman 2ØØ1, 3871 Red Cypress, New Orleans, LA 7Ø131 or fone 5Ø4 394 2221, fax 5Ø4 393 Ø669, e-mail: djuge@aviosk.com.

CGC CASCO: Any former crewmembers who would like to be placed on a mailing list of shipmates & activities that includes a reunion every several years, contact: Gordon C Kelly, P O BOX 141, Lyon, WI 53148.

CGC DUANE: Next reunion 13-15 September. Gala banquet Saturday 15th aboard USS Yorktown. Special rates available if you mention DUANE REUNION. For more information & to receive the free newsletter & membership information, contact Paul Turner, USCGC DUANE Assn., HCR2 Box 15A, Summit, NY 12175, e-mail: paultrnr@midtel.net

CGC SPENCER: 11-15 October at Williamsburgh, VA. Contact Jack Shampine, 7393 Route #21, Cicero, NY 13Ø39, fone 315 699 3127, or Hank Rogers, Jr., #342 Freedom CT, Baltimore, MD 2122Ø, fone 41Ø 335 6826.

GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN VETERANS: 13-15 September at Wilmington, NC. Contact Ernest M Phillips, 1537 Larchmont Ave., Lakewood, OH 441Ø7-34Ø3, fone 216 221 8256, e-mail: phil3Ø2Ø6Ø@msn.com.

NAVY PATROL SQUADRON 18 (VPB-18) annual reunion will be hosted in Mobile, AL 9-12 October by Warren Locklin, N4RUC. Interested parties may contact him at 334 479 2961.

PATROL FRIGATES: 16 to 21 September in Reno. For further info: Roberta Shotwell, e-mail: Patrolf@aol.com.

USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSN: [From Jim Gill, K6IRR] Reunion 4-6 October 2ØØ1 at Port Huron, MI. Contact Jerry Radloff, 1Ø2Ø Woods Lane, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236-1157, fone 1-313 884 3Ø71, e-mail: gsradloff@yahoo.com.

USCG CW Operators Assn: The 3d annual reunion for the CG CW Operators Assn. will be Charleston, SC, from 17 to 21 October. Celebrities MCPO CG Vince Patton & Fred Siegel (Fred’s Place) will be there. For more info. contact: J J Huffman, POB 55388, North Pole, AK 99705, e-mail: bird63@alaska.net.

WINONA REUNION: A committee is in the process of setting up the 3^rd WINONA Reunion to be held in Port Angeles, WA on Friday, 7 through Sunday 9 September 2001. For a registration form & a current roster of attendees, contact: Cliff Rocheleau, WINONA Reunion Committee, 215 Applegate Lane, Sequim, WA 98383-3082, e-mail roch@olypen.com, or fone 36Ø 582 Ø925.