COAST GUARD STORIES
Presented By JACK’S JOINT
Updated Wednesday March 31, 2005
This is the real day to day history of the Coast Guard life written by the people who lived it. There are 923 Articles, Essays, Stories, and Poems of mostly Coast Guard Lore Accessible from this Page.
Be sure that your sound is on if you like a musical background
ARTICLES
NEW STORIES - The latest additions to the library.
Becoming a Surfman in 1938 - John Merrill This article appeared in Vol. 48, No. 4, (Winter 1992) of Inland Seas, Quarterly Journal of the Great Lakes Historical Society. It was reprinted in Journal of Erie Studies”, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 1993) published by Erie County Historical Society, Erie, Pennsylvania. and was released for reposting by the author on February 10, 2005.
A Brush with Coast Guard History by Bud Cooney - Another account of the CG-36500 on that stormy Night in February 1952.
Heads will Roll By Pat Glesner - Morale goes up and down at the LORSTA.
Old Sailors By Charles Noble
Away from Home at Christmas In Iraq By Sgt. Chris Fannin - Submiitted By Nita Ann Foraker - It is about a Marine but we'll fit it into Jack's Joint.
Supplementing Coast Guard Income By Harold Doan - Back in the days before they paid us a living wage many of us had to figure out ways to supplement our income. Bank robbing was out so other methods evolved..
We’re Only Here for the Beer By Pat Glesner - The days of care-free living at LORAN station Hokkaido were about to come to an end.
The Demise Of Scotch Cap Light Station By Dennis Dowling - It happened in 1946, Scotch Cap Light Station and Her Crew Were Lost Tsunami.
Horrors Of A Winter Gale At Boon Island Light By George S. Wasson - Written in the language of the day the story projects the harshness of life on this desolate rock.
Whitewash Or Another Lightkeeper’s Lament - Poem By Harry A. Gray, November 24, 1935.
CGC DUANE Christmas 1958 - Ocean Station Charlie By Floyd Stormer Contributed By His Widow, Esther Stormer. Christmas 2004 - CWO Floyd Stormer put one of his best poetic efforts in this bit of doggerel.
Just Grumbling - On the Light Side by D. E. Hobelman - Don't you know there is a war going on?
In Memory of the Escanaba - Excerpted from U.S. Coast Guard Magazine, October 1943 edition.
How Two Cutters Went To Glory by Robert C. Conrad - Here is an Eye-Witness’ Report of the Manner in Which Two Coast Guard Cutters Went to Certain Destruction at Oran in One of the War’s Most Gallant Epics.
White Caps and Sea Breezes - Author(s) Unknown. - This was the Joke Page of the May 1944 edition of the Coast Guard Magazine. This should prove that the humor and jokes ha
Manislov, This Is Bill - Bill Porter - On a C-130 flying a surveillance mission in 1979 at the height of the Cold War, a Russian fishing vessel proceeds to the rescue of 10 personnel of a downed U.S. Navy P-3. On the working level it was not the generals, admirals, congressmen, or even the president or the prime minister, but just a Russian fishing boat helping “friends” in the water.
Coxswains Led Way - Author Unknown - Excerpted from U. S. Coast Guard Magazine, printed during WWII.
Five Months on the Greenland Ice Cap - Author Unknown - Excerpted from a WWII edition of Coast Guard Magazine
The Brier by Alexander Grigg - Peacetime, Wartime, The basic duties of the Coast Guard must be accomplished.
He Saw Three Invasions - Author Unknown - John S. Gretzer saw them over an 18 month time frame on a Coast Guard Attack Transport during WWII
Bombs Are Reville By Eric C. Wessborg - This article is about a second powderman's thoughts on a merchant ship carrying a Coast Guard gun crew during WWII. Exerpted from a WWII issue of the Coast Guard Magazine.
A Coast Guard Story - Ocean Station November - Rescue of the Crew of the Giovanna Lolli Ghetti By CWO Charles D. Williams USCG(ret) ©2004, Charles D. Williams
The American Life Saving Service - Harpers Magazine - 1882 - .pdf format - apx 3.5 megs. Directly imaged with no musical background. Courtesy of the Coast Guard History site.
Real Chiefs - 2004 Edition - Submitted By John Ingram - Purloined from someplace?
A Tale of Two Auxiliaries By Wayne Spivak United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (Article posted by permission)
Now Hear This by Don Jordan Aboard a Coast Guard Troop Transport somewhere in the Atlantic (Special to the U. S. Coast Guard Magazine)
When Boatswain's Mates Whistle by Jack Cole, CBM Coast Guard Combat Correspondent [Excerpted from U.S. Coast Guard Magazine, October, 1944]
Remember the Frigates by Charles Isaacs [Excerpted from U.S. Coast Guard Magazine, October, 1944]
An Epilog By Eric Roman - 29 years after the event a man looks back on a ceremony that he was present at as a 7 year old.
The Mail Buoy - An Open Forum - Conducted by The Editor [Excerpted from U.S. Coast Guard Magazine, October, 1944]
Jeeps of the Air by Trudi McCullough AP Features Writer -- This story was originally published in the Coast Guard Magazine, October, 1944 edition.
Servicing The Compass, The Best Sea Prank I Ever Witnessed By Bill Hayden - Oh what fools these Deckies be.
LORAN for Dummies By Pat Glesner - As a super ET and now as a CWO4 I successfully avoided LORAN duty for 19 years and the n I heard, “Sorry,” the detailer replied, “It’s your turn in the barrel.”
A Blind Auxiliarist Helps Other Coasties See By Auxiliarist Robert Dittman,as told to Skip Munger, News of the Force (News of the Force is an all service military e-magazine.) Jack's Joint has received very few stories about or involving the Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is a pleasure to present this inspirational story.
My First Command By Chuck Kircher - What happens when a White Cutterman is made a Surfman by fiat.
Miracle on a Forty Footer By Ron Krebs - An honest young Coastie matures in the "Old Guard."
Coast Guard Rules For A Gunfight By Robert Dittman
Rabbit Edwin, Rabbit By Bill Doherty - He had all of us twisted around his “paw”. Dogs like him do not come around often.
All Set-Up By David Robb - 180' Tenders and 110' tugs often worked together breaking Great Lakes ice.
The Mail Buoy - An Open Forum - A Tribute To Some Former Shipmates - Excerpted from U.S. Coast Guard Magazine, October, 1944 - Restored by Donald Gardner.
Whitefish Glacier By David Robb - Breaking ice with the CGC Raritan on Lake Superior.
Albacore Crew Tells
About Life Aboard Ship
By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA
American Forces Press Service (ARTICLE)
Navy Ships Recommissioned as Coast Guard Cutters - By JO1(SW) Jason McKnight - Navy Compass CGC MONSOON and CGC ZEPHYR become the latest additions to the Coast Guard fleet. (ARTICLE)
Seagram's Bottles By David Robb - Mischief in the winter in Milwaukee.
An Act Of Congress By Seamond Ponsart Roberts - Coast Guard recruiting goes awry.
Where There Is No Glory - Author Unknown - Originally Published in the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine, 1943
Our Most Unforgettable Character By Bob Fletcher From "The Ships Bell", CGC Winona's Newsletter.
The Dirty Tricks Committee by Dan R. Riksen - You have to have some sort of fun when you are cooped up in a 110' tug during ice breaking season.
Recovery of Crashed The Tag Airliner From Lake Erie By Doug O'Dell - The little "Can Do" Cutter Kaw recovers the wreckage of a downed airliner.
On the Border By Allyson E. Taylor - What's going on today to intercept smuggler's and illegal aliens near Messina, New York. Extracted From The Ninth Coast Guard District PIO Site.
Sea Fever By John Masefield - A remembrance dedicated to a shipmate who recently crossed the bar.
In Memory Of The Escanaba - Author Unknown - Originally published in the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine - Volume 10 - No. 16 dtd October, 1943. This is an account of the First Coast Guard Day in Grand Haven.
The Escanaba by John Lindenmulder - An ode to the first CGC Escanaba that was lost in the North Atlantic Ocean during WWII. Originally published in the October, 1943 issue of The U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
The USCGC Westwind - Nanook-53 -The First Trip to the Arctic by Harry Franklin, Jr.
Maggie of the Mackinaw By Ken Patrick - Another piece of the puzzle is put into place.
Rules For Gunfights - Author Unknown - Contributed by Bob Gaut
A Doggone Sea Story By Pat Glesner - The story of a former Navy man indoctrinated into the Hooligan's Navy intertwined with a story of "Soogie" mascot of the Cutter Woodrush.
The Rest Of The Story By Jack A. Eckert - More about Maggie, the Mackinaw mascot hated by everybody.
Hell And High Water By Bob Novak - A few words about down under during WWII.
Mac The Dog By Steve Paddack - The sad tale of a good dog.
Mix That Cement - Set Those Nails Or M&R in the 60’s By Bill Doherty
How To Save Toilet Paper By Ned Stevens - How were the CPO’s going to survive without paper towels in their head?
The Mighty "E" - CGC Eastwind's Un-Official Life Story© Compiled by Warren Bonner. - These 536 pages are well illustrated and saved in Adobe PDF locked format which prevents cutting and pasting from the document. Hard copies are obtainable from the author. (Very Interesting - Jack)
Old Guard and New Guard - Author(s) Unknown - A spoof.
They Were The Best Of Times - They Were The Worst Of Times - Mess Cooking Purloined From Fred's Place
Coast Guard Quotes From The Crew - Old and New - Purloined From Fred's Place - Edited by Jack
You know you're an old Coastie... Purloined From Fred's Place Edited By Jack Because This Is a Family Site Originally Authored By Some Old, Older, and "Older Than Dirt" Coasties, Names Withheld To Protect The Guilty.
Replacements By Ron Coombs - An Army story written by a retired Coastie.
A Young Cowboy’s Story by W.D. Bonner -- A young farm lad from Texas joins the Coast Guard during WWII and spends his brief career on the Ice Breaker Eastwind.
USCGC Munro And The Korean Airliner (KAL-007) By Jack Crowley - Relating the Cutter Munro's part in the Search, Rescue and Salvage operation of Korean Airline KAL-007 which was shot down on September 1, 1983.
Confessions Of A Chaplain On Duty With the Coast Guard By Don Robinson - Nobody told him it was against Navy Regulations to be an underway OOD or EWO on a 378 going to OS ECHO. He left his stint with the Coast Guard with a good taste in his mouth.
Semper Paratus - Sheet Music By Frances S. Van Boskerck Submitted By Joe Pickens
Coast Guard Linked to Iwo Jima By Judy L. Silverstein - Reprinted from Military.Com
Green Eyes By George P. Alton - The time frame is WWII, the place is Stinson Beach, California, There were a few lessons to be learned from the experience of the Green Eye affair. I learned that one must never make love to a married woman in her own house! I learned one must be sure to hang on to one's hat when making love. Most of all, I learned to exercise great caution when the Wurlitzer blares out the tune "Green Eyes."
Different TRACEN - Same Games By Donald C. Mello - Even though Groton was left behind, the games continue at Governor's Island
A Left Coast Reunion By C.W. "Bill Bailey" aka The Old Sea Dog.
The Dave Rulon Fishin' Trip Massacree By Donald C. Mello - An innocent fishing trip off of the Biorka Island Loran Station begins this brief saga.
Alpha to Omega By C. William "Bill" Bailey An interesting article, "USS Wakefield In Singapore" in an issue of Quarterdeck Log certainly awoke slumbering memories in this old sea dog ..........
Letters To Home - Chase I - By C. William "Bill" Bailey Captain Bailey was one of the old "Sea Dogs" in the Coast Guard. He commanded nine ships during his long career, the cutters COO'S BAY, EASTWIND, and CHASE being the last three. He was a man that showed great concern for his crews. He implemented a policy of writing letters home to the crew's families and many of his friends. This is one of those letters.
Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal - 2 - Official USCG Release With Photographs.
Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal - By Rob Morrison - ©Northport Observer. The first Coast Guardsman lost in the Second Iraq War. - An Article.
Like OS Bravo In January By Lars Lund - This article contains some spectacular pictures of icing on a ship. Old Salts will recognize the problem. This file will take a considerable time to download.
A Bark in the Night By Wink Weber - A young Coastie learns what the pecking order in the ranks means.
Ann Margaret - Author Unknown - All of the stars that visited Viet Nam in the sixties were not like Jane Fonda.
The Huron By Neil C. Hamilton - I wrote this poem after losing my best friend and shipmate (SN/BM Robert (Bob) J. Gullickson) when the liberty boat was swamped and sunk on May 7th 1958 while attempting to return to the Huron Lightship WAL-526.
Refueling At Sea By George Schultz - Pulling up to the mid ocean gas station to fill up isn't all that easy. Adobe .PDF format.
The Disappearance of Captain Hinnant By R.A. Phillips - The report of Ensign R.A. Phillips, the last person to see him ... half a century ago
STORIES ABOVE THIS LINE HAVE NOT YET BEEN POSTED TO THE LIBRARY
Life at Sea on the Amy J - Chapter 9 of FS's- The Little Ships That Could by George Alton ©2000 - This excerpt reprinted by permission of the author.
Santa And The Elf - By Seamond Ponsart Roberts ©2003 - Seamond Ponsart Parker - Available in secured Adobe PDF format only.
The Navy - Night Before Christmas - Author Unknown
The Little Red Lightship that brought a Big Aircraft
Carrier to a Stop
The Sands Of Christmas By Michael Marks - A poem reflecting on the Iraqi War and the Christmas Season
The Soldiers Night Before Christmas By Major Bruce W. Lovely and Other Seasonal Poems.
Necessity
is the Mother of Improvisation By
Mario Vittone
Terms, Traditions and Customs of the Naval Service - Copyright© 2003 [www.Bluejacket.com] Reprinted By Permission.
Creed of the United States Coast Guardsman by VADM Harry G. Hamlet, USCG, ( Commandant 1932-1936)
The Good Life By Tony Tuliano - Life on Plum Island Light Station (NY) - 1977.
RECENT ADDITIONS - Ten or more recent additions to the library.
Groton Memories By Linda Malaussena Robinson - My Dad was stationed at the Groton Training Station when I was a girl.
Two Poems© By Eric Christian Hansen - Semper Paratus, Always Ready and Polar Eclipse.
The Tether By Jack A. Eckert - Revisiting the Detex Time Detector Clock.
The Big Roll by Mark Wood - I heard someone yelling to top of his lungs, "we're going to broach!"
Box Lunches By George Bruhl - Don't complain to the cook - They always win!
My Coast Guard Family By Dave Stone - 17 years old and on a big gray ship, I found myself accepted by an unlikely family
Winter
Frolics On The Great Lakes
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.
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.
Lightship Down by Tom Dunlop - ©Copyright 2003 - Martha's Vineyard Magazine - Reprinted By Permission - Harold Flagg tells his story.
The Mighty 'E'astwind by Warren D. Bonner - A poem.
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............................"
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.
To Sea On The Alexander Hamilton By William A. Ogletree - An excellent narrative and an accurate observation of the activities on the ill fated HAMILTON immediately prior to WWII.
The Last Mission Of The Alexander Hamilton By William A. Ogletree - The HAMILTON is lost.
Voyage Down To Labrador By William A. Ogletree - WO tells of the adventures and hazards sailing from Newfoundland to the Labrador in the middle of the winter to set up and operate Battle Harbor Loran Station.
Snow And Blizzard By William A. Ogletree - The narrative continues with a tale of Labrador husky culture.
The Labradormen's Rescue© By William A. Ogletree - Coast Guardsmen rescued under adverse conditions in the winter in Labrador.
How To Become A 40' Coxswain In Three Easy Lessons By Jack Fletcher - I BS'd my way through.
Living at a Lighthouse By Helen Carlson - Copyright © 1995 - 2003 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. A girl grows up on some Lake Michigan Lighthouses,
CG-36454 - Back from the Deep by Donald L. Nelson - This one will put sand in your seabag!
Spirit
of the Hamilton
River Gossip - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Campbell Chatter - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Greenland Rescue - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Former Cutter Sinks Two - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Boston - Author Unknown - A Poem Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Winter
Woes
Three Stories In One - 1964 –1965 ©By C.W. “Bill” Bailey. - Riding the QE II, An Admiralty Court experience, and escorting the Bark, "Eagle".
The Chicago Bash by Jack Eckert - There was enough gold present in the form of officer’s stripes if melted down into ingots, to have financed the Iraqi War.
Alpha to Omega or The Beginning and Almost End of My Coast Guard Reserve Career By C. W. (Bill) Bailey
Crossing The Bar By Alfred Lord Tennyson - Jerry Wanek had good reason to submit this.
New Class of Patrol Boats for Old-Timers By Jay Schmidt - At last.... They remember us old timers.
Ainu
Autumn
My Life On Boon Island ©2003 - The Lighthouse Digest - By Miriam (Dolby) Hammel - Hardly the good life for a young wife who learned to scrub clothes on a washboard, use an outhouse, and hope the place wouldn't wash away in a storm. - Reposted by permission.
Music Men of the Cutter CHASE By Rodney O. Young - A musical tradition established long ago on this venerable cutter survives to this day.
Laundry Day By Rodney O. Young - On the CGC CHASE as with most larger cutters, laundry was picked up in the berthing compartment, washed, rough dried, returned, sorted, and placed on a crewman's bunk. Primitive as it was the system worked.
The High Speed Fire Drill Caper By Louis Moore - Wherein "Louie's" wit saved he and his mates at least one stripe.
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.
Old Sailors By Larry Dunn - As you know, Jack likes poetry and this ranks with the best on the site.
The Other Protester - Author Unknown
The Cutter Northland At War© By Jack Dorsey - The Germans thought they were the only crazy fools in the arctic.
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 years on South East Farallon Island.
Some little known American military history - Contributed By Bob Gaut - An Anecdote about the USS Constitution.
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.
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)
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.
What's The Visibility? By Harry Sadler - Every Weather Wagon and Ice Cube Maker had one of these Pompous Ensigns aboard.
A
BAKER'S DOZEN OF THE BETTER ARTICLES, STORIES, AND POEMS ON THIS SITE
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.
Chief - Your Guest Must Leave - by Ralph H. Davis - [1272 words] - A bawdy tale from the "Old Guard."
Do You Remember - [2439 words] - Memories of the old guard.
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.
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.
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.
Hawaiian Baptism by Franklin A. Warren, Sr. - [1457 words] - A tale involving "Mad Mac" one of the Coast Guard's real old Seadog's.
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.
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
Memories of My MKC - ©1997 by Dolly Juhlin - [368 words] - Here's to you Lowell :)
Monster Maggie of the Mackinaw by Floyd Stormer - [386 words] - The mascot every crewman hated.
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.
Cap'n Ban And The Naptha Engine by Nell Wise Wechter From the "Mighty Midgetts of Chicamacomico ©1974 Times Printing Co., Inc. Manteo, N.C.
A Soldier Died Today - ©Lawrence Vaincourt - [474 words] - Reproduced By Permission. This is consistently one of the most popular pages posted on Jack's Joint
OTHER SELECTED STORIES FROM THE MAIN LIBRARY
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
Cutter Northland At War© By Jack Dorsey - The Germans thought they were
the only crazy fools in the arctic.
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
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
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 FS=362 - 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....
Newsletter
- A true story told by an eyewitness.
The
Good Life
By Tony Tuliano - Life on Plum
Island Light Station (NY) - 1977.
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 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.
Groton Memories By Linda Malaussena Robinson - My Dad was stationed at the Groton Training Station when I was a girl.
Two Poems© By Eric Christian Hansen - Semper Paratus, Always Ready and Polar Eclipse.
The Tether By Jack A. Eckert - Revisiting the Detex Time Detector Clock.
The Big Roll by Mark Wood - I heard someone yelling to top of his lungs, "we're going to broach!"
Box Lunches By George Bruhl - Don't complain to the cook - They always win!
My Coast Guard Family By Dave Stone - 17 years old and on a big gray ship, I found myself accepted by an unlikely family
Winter
Frolics On The Great Lakes
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.
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.
Lightship Down by Tom Dunlop - ©Copyright 2003 - Martha's Vineyard Magazine - Reprinted By Permission - Harold Flagg tells his story.
The Mighty 'E'astwind by Warren D. Bonner - A poem.
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............................"
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.
To Sea On The Alexander Hamilton By William A. Ogletree - An excellent narrative and an accurate observation of the activities on the ill fated HAMILTON immediately prior to WWII.
The Last Mission Of The Alexander Hamilton By William A. Ogletree - The HAMILTON is lost.
Voyage Down To Labrador By William A. Ogletree - WO tells of the adventures and hazards sailing from Newfoundland to the Labrador in the middle of the winter to set up and operate Battle Harbor Loran Station.
Snow And Blizzard By William A. Ogletree - The narrative continues with a tale of Labrador husky culture.
The Labradormen's Rescue© By William A. Ogletree - Coast Guardsmen rescued under adverse conditions in the winter in Labrador.
How To Become A 40' Coxswain In Three Easy Lessons By Jack Fletcher - I BS'd my way through.
Living at a Lighthouse By Helen Carlson - Copyright © 1995 - 2003 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. A girl grows up on some Lake Michigan Lighthouses,
CG-36454 - Back from the Deep by Donald L. Nelson - This one will put sand in your seabag!
Spirit
of the Hamilton
River Gossip - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Campbell Chatter - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Greenland Rescue - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Former Cutter Sinks Two - Author Unknown - Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Boston - Author Unknown - A Poem Extracted From The November 1942 Issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Magazine.
Winter
Woes
Three Stories In One - 1964 –1965 ©By C.W. “Bill” Bailey. - Riding the QE II, An Admiralty Court experience, and escorting the Bark, "Eagle".
The Chicago Bash by Jack Eckert - There was enough gold present in the form of officer’s stripes if melted down into ingots, to have financed the Iraqi War.
Alpha to Omega or The Beginning and Almost End of My Coast Guard Reserve Career By C. W. (Bill) Bailey
Crossing The Bar By Alfred Lord Tennyson - Jerry Wanek had good reason to submit this.
New Class of Patrol Boats for Old-Timers By Jay Schmidt - At last.... They remember us old timers.
Ainu
Autumn
My Life On Boon Island ©2003 - The Lighthouse Digest - By Miriam (Dolby) Hammel - Hardly the good life for a young wife who learned to scrub clothes on a washboard, use an outhouse, and hope the place wouldn't wash away in a storm. - Reposted by permission.
Music Men of the Cutter CHASE By Rodney O. Young - A musical tradition established long ago on this venerable cutter survives to this day.
Laundry Day By Rodney O. Young - On the CGC CHASE as with most larger cutters, laundry was picked up in the berthing compartment, washed, rough dried, returned, sorted, and placed on a crewman's bunk. Primitive as it was the system worked.
The High Speed Fire Drill Caper By Louis Moore - Wherein "Louie's" wit saved he and his mates at least one stripe.
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.
Tet by Dave Moyer - [867 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.
Texas Tower 4 Victims Remembered By Lyford M. Moore Courier-Post Staff Copyright 2000 Courier-Post. - A forgotten page of Coast Guard history.
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]
(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.
What The Coast Guard Is All About - If you want to know what the Coast Guard is all about read the official version, Coast Guard Publication One. Made available on Jack's Joint as a public service.
LIBRARY SHELVES - Select stories from the library shelves.
THE ENTIRE LIBRARY - An Alphabetized Table Of Contents Of Articles And Poems Posted On JACK'S JOINT.
THE PERMANENT NUMERICAL LISTINGS - In which all items are given a permanent unique number. All items can be directly accessed from this page. It is not in strict alphabetical order nor does it contain any descriptions, just number, name and author.
Click
to listen to USCG Band playing Semper Paratus (background music)
USCG Band Directed by Commander Lewis J. Buckley (This is an MP3 file that will
take a few minutes to download.)
NOTES:
Fred's Place and Jack's Joint have combined forces. 35 stories from this site appear on Fred's.
Many of the stories appearing on this page have been taken from Don Gardner's anthology entitled "Coast Guard Stories." This anthology was amassed from the submissions of the Coast Guard Radio Club.
Other stories have been derived from Esther Stormer's two books and are credited with their respective stories.
Yet others have been contributed one, two, or ten at a time from people who want to share with the world.
Pictures were added to some of the stories as they are being reworked. Most of them are from Jerry Lentz's "CUTTER BAHOOGLIA" website and Jack's personal collection.
This
Site is devoted to all Coasties and their life experiences. Essays, poems, tall
tales, some opinions, and good quality lies will be posted as received and
edited. This growing library is part of our culture.
None
of these articles should be downloaded for commercial publication without the
permission of the various authors.
You
are invited to submit your sea stories, sand tales and everything Coast Guard
and in between to Jack by email. They will be reviewed, edited, formatted and
posted as time permits. Get your creative juices flowing! Share your experiences
with all of us.
Don't
forget to check the other articles in the main library.
Return to Jack's Joint Front Page
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