Happy birthday, U.S. Coast Guard. Honors and remembrances to Alabama members of the Coast Guard who have fallen in the line of duty.
On Monday, August 4, a wreath-laying will be held on the advent of the 235th anniversary of the guard. It will take place at 8:15 a.m. at the USS Alabama Battleship Park near the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial.
The ceremony will be conducted by Alabama Coast Guard officers, the Mobile Navy League and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
Stimpson extended the following invitation to the public on July 31:
The Port City is one of 37 communities across the country officially designated by Congress as a “Coast Guard City,” and we are very proud of that fact. Mobile’s strong relationship with the Coast Guard dates back two centuries, and continues to this day, serving as the home to three major Coast Guard commands, including: Sector Mobile, the Aviation Training Center, and the Gulf Strike Team.
Monday’s event will celebrate the Coast Guard, while also recognizing those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our country. Members of the public are invited to join us, and I hope you will.
The ceremony commemorates the founding of the “Revenue Cutter Service,” the predecessor to the modern Coast Guard, on August 4, 1790.
The Coast Guard, one of the nation's eight uniformed services, plays a vital role in maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement.
The Coast Guard lists seven national events recognizing the Guard’s milestone, including the Alabama event:
- The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is honoring 235 years of Coast Guard service.
- The National WWII Museum is offering free admission to active duty and reserve members, retirees, and veterans of the Coast Guard on August 4th.
- The City of Mobile, Alabama, along with Coast Guard officials, will hold a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the anniversary and honor those lost in service.
- The Egan Maritime Institute is hosting an anniversary celebration with free museum admission for active duty and retired Coast Guard members and their families.
- The Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, the official relief society of the Coast Guard, is accepting tribute gifts in honor of Coast Guardsmen who have provided inspiration.
- The Delaware County Military & Veteran Affairs is hosting a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the occasion.
- The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is offering a special USS Arizona Memorial boat program for Coast Guard military members and their dependents on August 2nd and 3rd.
The Coast Guard traces its origins to the Revenue Cutter Service, established in 1790 at the request of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton to enforce tariffs. What goes around comes around. Today, tariffs are a major issue in the United States for the first time since 1913.
In 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service to form the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Lighthouse Service was absorbed into it in 1939.
While operating under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, the Coast Guard is transferred to the Department of the Navy in times of war or by presidential direction. The Coast Guard has participated in all major U.S. wars since its inception.
Semper Paratus. "Always ready."
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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