REPUBLIC OF NANTUCKET NEWS 3-3-02

REPUBLIC OF NANTUCKET COAST GUARD NEWS

Volume XXVIII, Number 2

March 3, 2002

Joan Watts, who worked security at Nantucket Memorial Airport, passed over the great sandbar in the sky recently and a graveside service was held on 25 JAN 02. A large crowd present included Army MP's; Nantucket Police Dept.; Nantucket Fire Dept.; taxi drivers; employees from Island Air, Nantucket Air and Cape Air; airline pilots; Nantucket Memorial Airport employees; FAA ATC's; and many friends and family. As the service concluded, a 402 fly-by passed low (600') over the cemetary; lots of eyes suddenly got wet (if they already weren't).

CAPT Rick Yatto will be leaving ASCC this summer and will be replaced by CAPT David Brimblecom as the new CO. Tail Winds and Outstanding Visibility to CAPT Yatto and Welcome Aboard to CAPT Brimblecom.

BMCS Jim Bobrich soon will be the OIC at ANT Woods Hole, replacing BMCS Sheila Lucey, who will become OIC, STA Brant Point on 26 APR 02. BMCS Bob Tallman, OIC, STA Brant Point, is retiring and will be staying on Nantucket!

A Jayhawk helo pulled 5 men from the sinking FV COVERED WAGON in the face of 20' seas and 30 knot winds in January. LT Bill Belatly, LT Kendall Sanderson, flight mechanic Ken Murtaugh and rescue swimmer Buck Beaudry met President Bush on board USCGC TAHOMA. To them it was a routine mission, but President Bush was impressed and the USCG will be getting some sorely needed funds.

BMCS Bruce Bradley is the new OIC on USCGC BARRACUDA and has an engraved door plaque to prove it.

CWO2 "Make Me Cry" Mary C. Ward will at last receive her much deserved MADAKET MILLIE AWARD on 05 MAR 02. She will get a hard copy, an engraved plaque(s) and copies of the fast and furious e-mails that went back and forth as she was trying to find out what she was being honored for. The e-mail copies, dubbed THE LAST WORD VOLUME I NUMBER 4, are in a three ring Nantucket Bank binder and many appropiate picture are included. The 2 overnight (2 days) deliveries didn't meet the 2 day deadline and Cabin Boy got his postage money back from USPS.

ADM Thomas Collins will replace the retiring ADM James Loy this summer as Commadant. ADM Loy will spend his retirement honing his skills on The Ring Game. Someone must be able to beat Cabin Boy (and not lose the rematch).

DC1 Pete Hooper recently left Nantucket (and the Coast Guard), and DC2+ Todd Fowler replaced him as the resident "Mr. Fix It" for the Nantucket Coast Guard properties.

The FEB issue of READERS DIGEST has an interesting article on the "Ash Kickers" in Aniak, Alaska. They are also known as the "Dragon Slayers Rescue Squad," and are volunteers with the Aniak Fire Rescue Dept. THEY ARE ALL TEENAGE GIRLS! The pumper truck for the Dept. is named "Proud Mary." A familiar name for more than a couple of CG Cutters...

YN1 Izzy (DeCelle) Keppner is retiring 01 OCT 02 in South Portland, ME, but will be having a retirement party on 21 JUN 02. Izzy's real name is Republic of Nantucket Desk #1.

The DEC 2001 "PROCEEDINGS" had several very interesting articles. "Build Trust With the Media," CDR Marc Woodring; "Too Tired to Tell," CAPT Russ Webster; "Unless There Was a Death," Dr. Dennis Noble; and "The Pendleton Rescue," CAPT Russ Webster were all outstanding. 18 FEB 02 was the 50th Anniversary of the PENDLETON rescue.

The headstone for BMC JESSIE P. DOG, USCG, "SEMPER PARATUS," STATION BRANT POINT, 1983-1998, is in place in front of the old fog bell on the front lawn of STA Brant Point. It has been landscaped.

People often wonder what we do on Nantucket during the off-season. We enjoy life, and then some! LT(jg) Emily McIntyre, USCG, and her new husband, CAPT Ethan Harding, USMC recently spent part of their homeymoon at NANTUCKET HOUSE, a moral unit at LORSTA Nantucket. Cabin Boy (E-6) stocked the refrig with a bottle of champagne and 2 glasses (they come as a package); he wanted to have a fire going in the fireplace for their arrival but the CG forgot to put a fireplace in the house. Commodore Kathy and Cabin Boy Dan met them at the Nantucket Anglers' Club on Friday, 22 FEB 02 for hors d'oeuvres and small talk. Emily, I mean LT Emily, related how she was thrilled to drive the MV NANTUCKET enroute to Nantucket, and she even parked it (don't panic, she is a graduate of King's Point Maritime and has an unlimited ocean CG license). She said it was a piece of cake, compared to parking CG Cutters. Her husband, Ethan, I Mean CAPT Ethan, is from Falmouth, MA and worked for the Steamship Authority while in high school. LT Emily last was stationed at CG Headquarters. I asked them if they knew my friends Jim, Vince and Jerry. She looked at me kind of funny and said, "Who are they?" When I told them that Jim was ADM Loy, Vince was MCPOCG Patton and Jerry was Gerald Yoest, Head of CG Foreign Affairs, I believe they really thought that I was BSing them. They departed on the MV NANTUCKET at 0630 o'clock the next morning, and Cabin Boy watched as they drove their pick-up onto the freight deck and watched them go topside. He then strolled onboard and taped a "JUST MARRIED' sign on their tailgate, much to the amusement of the deck crew, some who remembered CAPT Ethan Harding (they referred to him as, "The Harding kid.") Cabin Boy then drove down to Brant Point Light and stood on the rocks saluting as the MV NANTUCKET rounded Brant Point. When they went below as they entered Hyannis harbor, CAPT and LT (I get tired of adding jg) Harding were greeted with many cheers, thumbs up and good wishes from other passengers who had gone to their vehicles. They blamed each other for the sign at first, then wisely figured who had done it. When they arrived home in VA, there were e-mails and a telephone message waiting for them. The telephone message was from Jerry Yoest, the civilian head of USCG Foreign Affairs. That kind of panicked LT Emily until she returned the call and Jerry told her that he had a cottage in 'Sconset and asked her to call him when they returned to Nantucket so he could meet her and her husband. Yes, there is nothing to do on Nantucket during the "winta" and too little time to do it. My thanks to BMCM Jack Downey, CAPT Bill Nolan, SN Brandi Conley, ADM Larrabee, BMCS Gordie McClay, BMC Carl Brietzke, BM2(?) Rich Cherkauer, BM1 Ken Grande, CWO4 George Bassett, ADM John Linnon, BMC Jessie P. Dog, CWO4 Rick Hersey, CWO2 Mary "Make Me Cry" Ward, Admirable Commodore Kathy Kelliher, CDR Marc Woodring, LCDR Rick Pineiro, CWO4 Dan Coffey, CAPT Bud Breault, BMC Cutter the Dog, CWO4 Mike Blank, BMCM Manny Fillam, MKCM Tim Pitts, CAPT Russ Webster, and many, many others who helped me to enjoy life during the "winta."

This year is the 61st Anniversary of the USCG Reserve and the 60th Anniversary of OCS and the Spars. OCS left the CGA in 1959 and moved to VA; they returned to the CGA in 1998. The Spars ended after WWII. (via oldcgbarnacle@webtv.net).

The 10 year old CG STA OAK ISLAND (NC) had a terrible fire recently. No injuries and no lives were lost. Retired Falmouth Harbormaster Dick Eisenman sent Cabin Boy pictures and newspaper stories. TX

YANKEE magazine, MAR 2002, has an interesting story about CGC SHACKLE breaking ice with CGC THUNDER BAY.

BM1 Mark Stauffer, former STA Brant Point, was recently awarded a CG Commendation Medal and the GRU Long Island Sound's Enlisted Person of the Year Award. Mark is Leaving CGC CHINOOK and is going to CGC SHACKLE, but will visit BMCM Jack Downey for the PCO/PXO school (whatever that is). Mark did find Omar Hanson at MSO at MSO Long Island Sound.

LCDR Dan Mades is AWOL; he must have moved and/or changed his e-mail address.

WLV-613, NANTUCKET II, will soon be at the National Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island.

New uniforms will be sent off on 04 MAR 02 to USCG STA Fort Pierce/RON STA Port Fierce, FL. CWO4 Rick Hersey, CO, is feeling the budget crunch and needs new uniforms for the young troops. They will be on their way tomorrow, via pony express, which is much faster than USPS overnight.

Underway is the Only Way, Land is but a Menace to Navigation (LT Mades),

FOR THE COMMODORES,

YN1/SK1 Dan "Cabin Boy" Kelliher, USCG (Hon)