The Long Blue Line (Supplemental 2020)

2020
BONUS ISSUE FOR RETIRED SENIOR OFFICERS
Inside this issue:
HIGHLIGHTS
FROM THE
STATE OF
THE COAST
GUARD
120 YEARS AGO
THE COAST
GUARD’S FIRST
SUPERSTORM

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
3
Introducing the Long Blue Line Bonus Issue
A message from CDR Kevin Harkins, USCG (Ret.)
2020 BONUS ISSUE
Managing Editor: Drew Forster
Graphic Designer: Scott McGuire
Contributing Writer: William H.
Thiesen, Ph.D.
Chief of the Mess: MCPOCG Vincent
W. Patton, Ed.D., USCG (Ret.)
4
8
10
Highlights From the State of the
Coast Guard Address
COVER STORY | The Coast Guard's First
Superstorm 120 years ago a hurricane hits
Galveston, TX
How You Can Make a Difference
Help build your future National Coast Guard Museum
PUBLISHER:
The Long Blue Line is published
quarterly by the National Coast
Guard Museum Association,
78 Howard Street, Suite A, New
London, CT 06320
ADVERTISING:
Please contact Mary Joe Clark,
Maryjoeclark0@gmail.com
781-707-6565
CURRENT & PAST ISSUES:
Current and past issues of The
Long Blue Line are available at
longblueline.org
Past issues of the Retiree
Newsletter are available at: www.
dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/retnews/
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14
18
19
Research and Development
Highlights: i911
Fiscal Year 2021
President's Budget
Spotlight on Retired
Captain Fred Herzberg
Board of Directors and Campaign Officals
for the National Coast Guard Museum Association
Coast Guard Distribution Lists can
be found at the USCG Public Affairs
News Room at: www.news.uscg.mil
ON THE COVER:
ATLANTIC OCEAN - U.S. Coast
Guard Barque Eagle crewmembers
and Coast Guard Academy
officer candidates climb down
the rigging aboard Coast Guard
Barque Eagle. Officer candidates
spend two weeks aboard the Eagle
during their 17-week school to
further develop their seamanship,
teamwork, and leadership skills.
(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty
Officer 1st Class Lauren Jorgensen)
Find all of this content at longblueline.org
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
WHAT HAS CHANGED? The CG Retiree Services Program (vice Retiree Council) is now partnering with the National
Coast Guard Museum Association to publish this print version of the retiree newsletter.
WHAT’S NOT CHANGING? Coast Guard content (e.g. Retiree Services messaging; Retirements, TAPS, and Reunion
and other notices; and helpful phone #s, websites). The Retiree Services Program Manager remains the POC for CG
content and input to the newsletter. The deadline for input for the fall 2020 newsletter is 20 Aug 2020.
I do NOT have the capability to update retiree mailing/e-mail addresses in Direct Access (DA). This is a function of
CG PPC. I only upload retiree addresses from DA for mailing of the newsletter and other communications.
Robert Hinds, CG-1335, Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil
Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) endorse the National Coast
Guard Museum Association, Inc, or any other non-federal entity. Further, neither DHS nor the USCG endorse or support
the products or services advertised in this newsletter, the organizations advertising in this newsletter, or the statements
of any non- U.S. Coast Guard contributors for this newsletter.
2 THE LONG BLUE LINE

FELLOW RETIREES,
I AM PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE LONG
BLUE LINE BONUS ISSUE to our Senior Officer
Community. As I reflect on Coast Guard history
and how that weaves into the history of our Nation,
especially during difficult times, I am honored to be
a retiree and to share this common bond with each
of you.
In our agreement with the Coast Guard, the National
Coast Guard Museum Association offered to develop
more targeted issues of the Long Blue Line for specific
groups (e.g. Flags, Senior Officers, Chiefs) – and I am
pleased to share this first edition focused on our Senior
Officer Community. The goal for the Long Blue Line
and the special issue is to provide retirees both an
avenue to receive Coast Guard topical information,
as well as inform you about our newest endeavor – the
future National Coast Guard Museum.
I am deeply honored to serve as a volunteer on
the Board for an organization that cares about the
Coast Guard legacy – and our hope is that every
retiree becomes involved in their own way. It is
incomprehensible that our Coast Guard does not have
a National venue to tell our story – to inspire, to reflect,
to inform. ADM Jim Loy and I worked together to
synthesize the “why” to elucidate the many reasons we
need a Coast Guard Museum, summarized in the
following bullets:
• To help American citizens and other visitors
understand the incredible legacy of heroism,
bravery, and professional competence
demonstrated by this oft-unnoticed, multimissioned
service.
• To evoke endless stories of lives saved, wars
fought, commerce facilitated, laws enforced, and
a maritime environment protected.
• Because the extraordinary work of the Coast
Guard deserves to be preserved, memorialized
and honored and currently our Service is the only
Armed Service without a National Museum.
The Museum will be transcendent for the Coast
Guard, the Coast Guard Community, and the
Nation. Personally, I have invested both time and
resources because I have observed the tremendously
positive impact the other Service museums have
on visitors; the sense of awe, the discovery, the
new awareness, and the thoughtful reflections of
appreciation. And the most amazing part of that is,
comparatively speaking, the Coast Guard has the
best stories of anyone! We absolutely must help those
stories see the light of day.
I encourage you to learn more and get involved by
visiting:
www.coastguardmuseum.org
We are in the midst of a campaign with our Flag
Officers who have shown tremendous support to
date. We anticipate running a similar campaign within
our community, and I hope that we can exceed their
achievements – I am confident we will.
I hope you enjoy this bonus issue and the Long Blue
Line. In two months, the Museum Association will send
out a short survey and request your feedback. I want
to thank you in advance for your feedback and joining
me in our mission to build a National Coast Guard
Museum!
Semper Paratus,
CDR Kevin Harkins, Ph.D., USCG (Ret.)
Proudly retired since 2004!
Dr. Harkins is the CEO of Harkcon, Inc., where he brings more
than 30 years experience leading across a broad-spectrum of
human performance improvement areas in both the public and private
sectors. Harkcon has won multiple awards for growth, innovation, and
new project development and has been recognized as one of the fastestgrowing
businesses in America for seven consecutive years. Dr. Harkins
also serves as CEO of Harkcon Academy, a high-end training and
professional development center of excellence. He is the Secretary of
the Board of Directors of the National Coast Guard Museum Association.
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3

20 FEBRUARY 2020
CHARLESTON, NC
STATE of the
COAST
GUARD
ON FEBRUARY 20, ADMIRAL KARL SCHULTZ
delivered the 2020 State of the Coast Guard
Address in Charleston, SC. Highlights are
shared below and the full text and video are available
at LongBlueLine.org/SROfficers.
█ 230 years ago, the Nation’s first Secretary of
the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, recognized
that America’s prosperity depended on securing
our ports, facilitating the flow of commerce, and
establishing common rules for maritime trade. For well
over two centuries, we have protected, defended,
saved, and shielded the American people. Today, I
am proud to stand before you as the Commandant
of the “World’s Best Coast Guard” and tell the story
of WHY WE SERVE.
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Over the past year, you saw us first on scene following
the horrific destruction of Hurricane Dorian – the
most devastating storm to hit The Bahamas. Millions
watched in awe as a Coast Guardsman fearlessly
leapt onto a narco sub traversing the Eastern Pacific
Ocean. National Security Cutter BERTHOLF plied
the Taiwan Straits to promote free and open access
to the seas and adherence to the “Rules Based
Order.” Coast Guard service members rescued 24
trapped crewmembers from the overturned 650-foot
GOLDEN RAY, including four confined for over 30
hours in 140-degree engine room spaces.
As a Service, we are rightfully proud of our ability to
lead in crisis, but our greatest value is in preventing
crises in the first place. There is no agency better
suited than the United States Coast Guard to lead
in the maritime domain and to uphold worldwide
institutions founded on the principles of freedom,
sovereign rights, and liberty.
In a constantly evolving environment, we cannot
remain the world’s best Coast Guard, unless we think
and act differently. Unless we continually hone our
operational tradecraft. Unless we continue to develop
a positive culture that promotes respect, diversity
and inclusion through strong leadership at all levels.
For the first time in the history of the multi-decade
maritime drug campaign, this past year our partner
nations accounted for half of the Transit Zone drug
interdictions.
The cartels traffic drugs, weapons, and people,
causing instability and violence in Central
America that drives migrants north. And, their
illicit commodities destined for U.S. soil devastate
American families - setting records for drug-related
deaths each year. THIS IS WHY WE SERVE!
Our Offshore Patrol Cutters - which will become
the backbone of our modernized fleet - will have a
critical role in this campaign. The first in its class,
Cutter ARGUS, is already under construction and
will be delivered in 2022. The Offshore Patrol Cutter
program is set to deliver 25 hulls and that fleet will
ultimately comprise almost 70 percent of our offshore
presence.
By the end of the year, we are on track to take delivery
of the first two 154-foot Fast Response Cutters to be
homeported in Guam. These modern cutters will
replace 40-year-old vessels, enhancing all aspects of
the Coast Guard’s surface capabilities in the region,
including increased range, sea-keeping, crew size,
and enhanced cutter boats to support operations.
There is no agency better suited than the United States Coast Guard
to lead in the maritime domain and to uphold worldwide institutions
founded on the principles of freedom, sovereign rights, and liberty.
█ DRUG INTERDICTION
Just outside is National Security Cutter JAMES—
these cutters are the flagship of the Coast Guard’s
modernized fleet with automated weapons systems,
state-of-the-art command and control equipment,
and advanced sensors. JAMES recently returned
from a two-month deployment, to stop dangerous
drug cartels from smuggling over 13,000 pounds
of narcotics.
Since the implementation of our Western Hemisphere
Strategy four years ago, the men and women of the
Coast Guard have interdicted 2 million pounds of
pure cocaine worth 26 billion dollars.
█ POLAR REGIONS
Now let me tell you how we serve American interests
at the furthest ends of the earth. As our Polar Regions
become more accessible, foreign competitors seek
to encroach on American sovereignty, exploit
natural resources, and potentially limit access to
shipping routes.
The Coast Guard operates our Nation’s only
icebreaker fleet countering malign influence as our
most persistent surface military presence at the Polar
Regions. We do this with just two cutters. This is a
woefully unacceptable level of presence in an area
where we must be a leading force.
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Each year, LCDR Karen Kutkiewicz and the POLAR
STAR crew leave their families behind during the
holiday season. While underway for their annual
Antarctic deployment, the crew not only faces the
challenges of the harsh environment, but they must
also rely on their grit and ingenuity to keep their aging
vessel in the fight.
The good news is that both the Administration and
Congress have duly recognized the burden our
POLAR STAR sailors bear to meet the Nation’s call.
That’s why I’m grateful for their recent support to fully
fund our new Polar Security Cutter, the first modern
heavy icebreaker to be built in the United States in
half a century. Additionally, the President requested
$555 million dollars in Fiscal Year 2021 to fully fund
our critically needed second Polar Security Cutter,
and there’s an acquisitions and funding strategy to
build a third.
and smugglers who destabilize the region. And, we
are all in, with plans to begin replacing our aging
patrol boats with Fast Response Cutters next year,
expanding our maritime capabilities in support of
U.S. Central Command.
Right here in the homeland, your Coast Guard
also enhances security. For the first time ever, we
employed DHS’s recent congressionally authorized
counter-drone authorities to protect over 130 world
leaders who gathered for the United Nations General
Assembly in New York City.
Likewise, under delegated DoD authority, Coast
Guard Reserve petty officers helped pioneer stateof-the-art
drone defense equipment at the Maritime
Force Protection Units in both Kings Bay, GA and
Bangor, WA. These Coasties provide counter-drone
protection for U.S. Navy Ballistic Missile Submarines.
We are clearly a maritime nation, and our marine
transportation system generates over 30 million
jobs and 5.4 trillion dollars annually in economic activity.
Cutter HEALY, our twenty-year old Medium
Icebreaker, annually deploys above the Arctic Circle.
When HEALY sails this summer, it will do so, yet
again, without reliable communications for a large
portion of its multi-month patrol.
As Commandant, I need my operational commanders
to be able to communicate with every Coast Guard
asset—anytime, anywhere. We are exploring new
satellite communications capabilities with the
Department of Defense and industry, as well as
renewing land-based communications capabilities
in Alaska. Arctic communications are a “whole-ofgovernment”
issue — we must work together to solve
our communication blackout in the Arctic now.
█ DEFENDING OUR NATION
Coast Guard men and women are stationed
worldwide in defense of our Nation. Today, as
tensions in the Middle East remain heightened, the
Coast Guard stands watch on the Arabian Gulf. Six
patrol boats and our Advanced Tactical Interdiction
teams defend against terrorists, rogue nation states,
The aforementioned programs are funded by the
Department of Defense, but many of our defense
contributions are not, leaving the Coast Guard on an
unsustainable path to support our growing operational
requirements. In contrast, DoD’s readiness funding
has grown nearly three times as much as the Coast
Guard’s over the past five years despite our services
having the same types of readiness challenges. The
2021 President’s Budget Request starts us on a
healthier funding trajectory.
█ MARITIME COMMERCE
A community like Charleston understands just how
important our defense contributions are to the Nation.
And for generations, the people of this great port city
have also appreciated the importance of maritime
commerce to our Nation. Our interconnected global
economy relies on efficient ports and waterways.
Over 90 percent of the world’s goods move by sea.
We are clearly a maritime nation, and our marine
transportation system generates over 30 million jobs
and 5.4 trillion dollars annually in economic activity.
6 THE LONG BLUE LINE

Right here in South Carolina, your ports account for
10 percent of both jobs and gross domestic product
for the entire state.
The advantages of our Nation’s ports and waterways
positively affect every American, and every State.
That is how we serve American prosperity.
█ TALENT MANAGEMENT AND DIVERSITY
These dedicated men and women are why readiness
is my top priority for the Coast Guard. And a key
component to readiness is building and sustaining
a robust talent management enterprise, establishing
the Coast Guard as an employer of choice.
Talent Management is both our most pressing
challenge and our greatest opportunity. Attracting,
incentivizing, and retaining our best talent also
requires us to think about our Coast Guard families.
To lead operations in an uncertain future requires
us to harness the full power of diverse backgrounds
and original thinking. We must all build an inclusive
culture that not only attracts the best of America’s
diverse population, but fosters an environment that
encourages them to stay. A Coast Guard where
every person understands that inclusion and diversity
are mission imperatives
█ NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM
This is one way we can honor an individual’s
embodiment of our core values. Similarly, we owe
it to the cornerstone of what makes our Service
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great—our people—to memorialize the extraordinary
achievements of our past, present, and future
workforce. And I look forward to showcasing the rich
history and heroism of all Coast Guardsmen in the
National Coast Guard Museum scheduled to open
in New London, CT in 2024.
Our extraordinary men and women who truly live by
our Core Values will never let you down. And our
senior leadership team will ALWAYS have their backs
because on our watch your Coast Guard must, and
will, remain SEMPER PARATUS – ALWAYS READY.
the American public expects no less!
History and experience show that our people enable
the Coast Guard to adapt and overcome. To best
serve the Nation, we must invest in our Service and
empower our people.
We all serve for different reasons, but over my 36-
plus year career I have found that we all share the
same desire to take care of our shipmates, protect
our families, and safeguard the American dream.
Ensuring our outstanding Coast Guard men and
women can achieve these goals and grow as both
individuals and professionals - this is why I serve!
Thank you for joining me today and God Bless the
United States of America. Semper Paratus!
For the full State of the Coast Guard address,
visit www.LongBlueLine.org/SROfficers
7

THE
COAST
GUARD’S
FIRST
SUPERSTORM
120 YEARS
AGO
William H. Thiesen, Historian
Coast Guard Atlantic Area
IN EARLY SEPTEMBER of
1900, a hurricane of massive
force struck the Gulf Coast
west of Galveston, TX. The Great
Galveston Hurricane would
prove far deadlier than any manmade,
environmental or weatherrelated
disaster in U.S. history,
with approximately 8,000 killed
in Galveston and roughly 2,000
more lost in other parts of the Gulf
Coast.
In the afternoon of Saturday,
September 8th, the storm closed
in and floodwaters rushed into
Galveston with wind speeds
reaching gale force. By 3:30 p.m.,
reports of death and destruction
began to reach the Revenue
Cutter GALVESTON moored in the
harbor. The cutter already held 50
refugees and the captain decided
to deploy a smallboat to assist the
city’s storm victims.
A volunteer rescue party led by
GALVESTON Assistant Engineer
Charles Root set-off dragging the
cutter’s whaleboat over railroad
tracks and launching it into the
city’s flooded streets. The high
winds rendered oars useless,
so the men warped the boat
using a rope system. One man
swam through the streets with a
line, tied it to a fixed object and
the crew hauled it in. Using this
arduous process, the crew rescued
numerous victims out of the roiling
waters.
At nearby Bolivar Point, the
storm surge flooded the lowlying
peninsula and waves broke
against the base of Bolivar Point
Lighthouse. Approximately 125
locals sought refuge from the
storm in the lighthouse tower while
the water began rising around it.
That afternoon, the floodwaters
had halted a passenger train
approaching the Bolivar Point
Ferry Terminal. Soon after, the
rising water surrounded the train,
trapped riders and crew in the
passenger cars, and drowned
them all.
In the evening, the storm
unleashed Category Four winds.
The Galveston Weather Bureau
anemometer registered over 100
mph before a wind gust tore it
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Top‣ A view of Fort Point
Lighthouse, a screw-pile
lighthouse that barely
survived the Great Galveston
Hurricane. (U.S. Coast Guard
Photo)
Center‣ Revenue Cutter
Galveston moored in
Galveston harbor.
(U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
Bottom‣ A rare photograph
showing Charles Root later
in his Coast Guard career.
(U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
THE LONG BLUE LINE
off the building. Heavy winds
were taking an awful toll on the
GALVESTON, stripping off rigging
and blowing away the launch,
while wind-driven projectiles
shattered windows and skylights.
At the nearby Fort Point Lifesaving
Station, Keeper Edward Haines
realized his situation was dire and
told his crew they should find a
way to save themselves. As the
floodwaters crept up the station
walls, the surfmen believed they
could survive in the upper floor
of the building, so three of them
climbed to the top and passed
down ropes for the others. Up to
After hoisting
his wife to the
safety of the
station top,
the gallery
under Haines
collapsed and
he was swept
into the lifeboat.
this time, Haines and his wife had
remained in the station’s lifeboat,
but the waters by now were
breaking over them, with the boat
tossing on its beam-ends. The
keeper lifted Mrs. Haines to the
upper story by tying rope around
her body and hoisting her to the
surfmen above.
After hoisting his wife to the safety
of the station top, the gallery under
Haines collapsed and he was
swept into the lifeboat. The storm
blew the boat into open water and
Haines shouted to the surfmen to
protect his wife. Shortly thereafter,
he realized two of his men were
clinging to the lifeboat and pulled
them into the boat.
The storm’s wind and seas began
to reach their climax. At 7:30 p.m.,
Weather Bureau officials recorded
an instantaneous four-foot rise in
water level while the wind speed
reached 150 mph with gusts up
to 200. The storm surge raised
cutter GALVESTON over its dock
pilings, but the piling tops failed
to puncture the cutter’s hull plates.
By 8:00 p.m., Assistant Engineer
Root was ready to return to the
dark flooded streets. The hurricane
still made use of oars impossible,
so the crew waded and swam as
water depth allowed, warping the
boat from pillar to post. Meanwhile,
buildings toppled over and the
wind filled the air with shrapnellike
slate roof tiles. Root’s men
managed to rescue 21 victims,
housed them in a structurally
sound building and found food for
them in an abandoned store.
In Galveston Bay, lighthouses
marked the waters for shipping.
Located about seven miles north
of Galveston, the Halfmoon Shoal
Lighthouse sat over a shallow
area in the middle of Galveston
Bay. Unmoored by storm-driven
( continued on page 16)
9

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ACT TODAY:
HELP BUILD YOUR
NATIONAL COAST
GUARD MUSEUM
As a retired Senior Officer with a deep sense of duty,
I proudly support our Museum and the Service that
means so much to me and our Country.
—CAPT Jon Nickerson, USCG (Ret.)
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
go to www.coastguardmuseum.org/SROfficers to:
Take our Survey and
Give us your Feedback.
Join our Crew and make a
donation. Easy, secure options include
cash gifts (one-time or recurring),
gifts of stock and planned gifts. Visit
coastguardmuseum.org/give
for details.
Pass the Word – signup
for our SITREPS and
Newsletters and tell your
friends and shipmates.
1-844-LNG-BLUE
(844-564-2583)
www.CoastGuardMuseum.org
Retiree@coastguardmuseum.org
National Coast Guard
Museum Association
78 Howard St., Suite A
New London, CT 06320
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11

Research and
Development
Highlight:
i911
FIRST DISTRICT COMMAND CENTER CREWS,
from Maine to Northern New Jersey, have a
new tool to help distressed mariners come
home to their families after being out to sea.
The i911 program allows for watchstanders to use
a mariner’s cellphone number to assist in finding
their location for Coast Guard rescue crews to
locate them faster. Once the number is entered,
the mariner receives a text message authorizing
them to share their location with the U.S. Coast
Guard. Once shared, the internal cell
phone’s GPS, which uses satellites
to pinpoint the mariner’s location,
is displayed on a screen for
watchstanders to aid in the
search for them.
This software is already
available to first responder
agencies across the country.
It was developed by Callyo
Inc. and is a free service for all
first responders, including the
Coast Guard.
“What’s cool about my job is that I
get to learn about new technology,
and how we can apply it to help the
Coast Guard,” said Lt. Anne Newton, Coast Guard
Research and Development Center. “The second
I saw Callyo’s presentation, I knew this would help
command centers tremendously.”
Newton worked in several command centers before
her time at the R&D Center and understands the
struggle Coast Guard men and women face when
trying to find someone they know is counting on the
Service to bring them home.
Depending on the cell phone service, i911 can
determine locations of distressed mariners from
up to 15-20 nautical miles offshore. During the pilot
period, more than 38,000 search and rescue cases
across the contiguous United States were analyzed,
and it was found that 89 percent of all SAR cases
took place within 20 nautical miles off shore.
Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, located in
New Haven, CT, was the first to test the system.
It was a success and subsequently all five First
District Sector command centers became part of
the pilot program.
It’s not a perfect system though, there are some
challenges.
The biggest challenge watchstanders at Sector
Long Island Sound found was teaching distressed
12 THE LONG BLUE LINE

mariners how to turn on their location services. The
i911 system will not work without it.
“It’s really cool technology and already helped us
on numerous occasions with search and rescue,”
said John Olsen, a command duty watchstander
for Sector Long Island Sound. “Sometimes, we
just need to talk people through how to share their
location.”
During the pilot period, the i911 system assisted
in bringing several mariners home including three
people on an inflatable raft. They were blown out to
sea and couldn’t paddle to shore due to high winds
and strong sea currents. Armed with only their cell
phones, i911 pinpointed their location about 6 miles
offshore and rescue crews were able to bring them
home safety.
Chief Petty Officer Andrew Case, a command duty
officer at Sector Southeastern New England, located
in Woods Hole, MA, really liked having this tool to
use for search and rescue.
“It’s like Rescue 21 for the phone,” said Case. “It
greatly decreases the time we spend looking for
someone and gets the rescue crews out faster.”
Case also said that doesn’t mean mariners should
not have a VHF radio on board. The most reliable
and traditional means of communication for mariners
to use when in distress is VHF channel 16.
The pilot program, which ran from May – November
2019, is now authorized for Coast Guard command
centers across the entire service as of March 20, 2020.
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13

FISCAL YEAR 2021
PRESIDENT’S BUDGET
THE FY 2021 PRESIDENT’S BUDGET requests $12.33 billion for the Coast Guard, including $10.24 billion
in discretionary funding. Critical investments in people, assets and infrastructure, and technology build
on previous funding to continue to address the Coast Guard’s readiness challenges. The Budget also
supports the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) and the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC)—the service’s highest priority
acquisitions—and continues recapitalization efforts for capital assets and infrastructure.
BUDGET PRIORITIES:
MODERNIZE OPERATIONAL
CAPABILITIES
As a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, a law
enforcement organization, a regulatory agency, a
member of the U.S. Intelligence Community, and a
first responder, the Coast Guard is in high demand
to meet the National Security needs of a changing
global strategic environment.
RESTORE
READINESS
Every Armed Force faces readiness challenges,
and the Coast Guard is no exception. While the
Coast Guard’s ongoing recapitalization efforts
are essential to meeting the needs of the Nation,
they must be coupled with targeted investments in
people, assets and infrastructure, and technology
to ensure a mission-ready Coast Guard.
The FY 2021 Budget requests $8.38 billion for Operations and Support (O&S) and $1.64 billion for
Procurement, Construction and Improvements (PC&I). Budget highlights include:
MODERNIZE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES:
$1.18 billion for vessels, including: $546 million
for the construction of OPC #3 as well as long lead
time materials for OPC #4; $555 million for PSC,
including construction of PSC #2; $31 million for
post-delivery activities for National Security Cutters
(NSCs) #8-11; and $25 million for Waterways
Commerce Cutter (WCC) to recapitalize the
capabilities provided by the current fleet of inland
tenders and barges (PC&I).
$67 million for shore infrastructure improvements
to support new acquisitions, including the PSC
homeport in Seattle, WA, and infrastructure to support
a fifth NSC in Charleston, SC (PC&I).
$55 million for new assets including: operations
and maintenance funds for Fast Response Cutters
(FRCs) #43-44 and NSC #9; crews for FRC #44 and
OPC #1; shoreside personnel and support for FRCs
#19-20, 34-35, 39-40, and OPC #1; and support for
NSC capabilities, including tactical cryptology and
small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) (O&S).
$33 million to expand Coast Guard cyber
operations, including: cyber enabling operations;
facilitating prevention, response, and resilience for
cyber incidents in the Marine Transportation System;
and defense of Coast Guard networks (O&S).
14 THE LONG BLUE LINE

RESTORE READINESS:
PEOPLE
$116 million for requisite military pay and
allowances per National Defense Authorization Act
requirements, maintaining parity with the military
branches within the Department of Defense, and
$59 million for civilian pay and benefits (O&S).
$15 million for workforce readiness, including
recruiting, retention, Diversity and Inclusion, training,
and healthcare (O&S).
TECHNOLOGY
$24 million to improve the readiness of the
Coast Guard’s information technology infrastructure
(O&S).
$17 million for the enterprise mission platform,
including military satellite and secure mobile
communications (PC&I).
$7 million for cutter underway connectivity
improvements to meet mission requirements (O&S).
ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE
$154 million to sustain Coast Guard aircraft,
including: $20 million to support service life
extensions for MH-60T helicopters; $45 million
for a service life extension and avionics upgrade
on the MH-65 helicopter fleet; and $78 million for
missionization of fixed-wing HC-27J and HC-144A
aircraft (PC&I).
$100 million to sustain Coast Guard cutters
and boats, including $15 million to support service
life extension of CGC POLAR STAR and $83 million
to support service life extension of the 47-foot motor
life boats and 270-foot medium endurance cutters
(PC&I).
$75 million for shore infrastructure projects
supporting air operations in the National Capital
Region and Clearwater, FL; facility upgrades in
Buffalo, NY, and Philadelphia, PA; and construction
of housing in Perry, ME (PC&I).
$38 million to transition Air Station Borinquen,
Puerto Rico from MH-65 to MH-60 helicopters and
to improve the operational availability of fixed and
rotary-wing aircraft (O&S).
View the Coast Guard’s 2021 Budget
Overview and 2019 Performance
Highlights document and FY 2021
Congressional Justification document at:
www.uscg.mil/budget/
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SEPTEMBER 2020
15
15

( continued from page 9)
ships in Galveston Harbor, the
steamer Kendal Castle broke
loose from its moorings and began
drifting around the Bay. The ship
mowed down the Halfmoon Shoal
Light, obliterating the screw-pile
lighthouse and Keeper Charles
Bowen, whose body was never
found. In all, the hurricane wiped
out three generations of Bowen’s
family with his father, wife and
daughter all perishing on shore.
Hurricanes had blown Galveston
Lightship LV-28 off station many
times before, but none compared
to the 1900 Hurricane. The
wooden lightship relied on sails
for motive power and was at the
mercy of the storm. The hurricane
tore the vessel from its moorings
and parted its anchor chain. The
lightship’s windlass and whaleboat
were ripped away and the winds
collapsed one of the ship’s two
masts. The storm drove the vessel
several miles up Galveston Bay
before the crew dropped the
spare anchor, which held fast.
Fortunately, no crewmembers
were lost.
At Bolivar Light, Keeper Harry
Claiborne did his best to care for
his flock. The hundreds of weary
men, women and children rode
out the stormy night seated on the
spiraling steps leading up to the
lantern room. The next morning,
the survivors left the safety of the
tower to find a scene resembling
a massacre. As the floodwater
subsided, it deposited the corpses
of those who tried and failed to
gain the safety of the lighthouse.
Meanwhile, Life-Saving Service
Keeper Haines and his two
surfmen began searching the
beach for survivors and found
three more of his surfmen who
were blown across Galveston
Bay on flotsam. The three men
recounted how the lifesaving
station collapsed just after
Haines’ lifeboat was swept away,
throwing the surfmen and Haines’s
wife into the roiling seas. Later,
Haines located temporary graves
containing Mrs. Haines and the
missing surfman. Haines and
the crew rowed out to the graves
with a casket and retrieved her
body for re-burial. It is not known
whether the surfman’s remains
were ever exhumed.
In the Great Galveston Hurricane
of 1900, members of the Coast
Guard’s predecessor services
performed heroically. Keeper
Edward Haines and the Galveston
Life-Saving Station crew struggled
mightily against the forces of
nature at Fort Point. The men of the
Lighthouse Service and Revenue
Cutter Service demonstrated the
same devotion to duty by manning
the lights and saving hundreds
of lives. The Great Galveston
Hurricane would be the first of
countless hurricane response
efforts performed by the Coast
Guard and its ancestor agencies.
Top‣ The Fort Point Life-Saving
Station probably looked similar
to this vintage photo before the
storm. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
Center‣ Bolivar Point
Lighthouse tower sheltered 125
victims during the hurricane
and received relatively little
damage. (U.S. Coast Guard
Photo)
Bottom‣ Galveston’s citizens
used a horse-drawn cart to
collect the dead for burning or
burial. (Library of Congress)
This article has been edited for length.
Read the full account at longblueline.org
16 THE LONG THE BLUE LONG LINE BLUE LINE

photo: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Cynthia Oldham
DOG-EAR
THIS PAGE
Maritime Safety and Security Team 91101
members deploy from an MH-60 Jayhawk
helicopter from Coast Guard Sector Columbia
River in Oregon during vertical delivery training
near the entrance to the Columbia River,
Oregon, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The training
included Canine Explosive Detection Teams
deployed to the deck of a vessel operated
by instructors of the Tongue Point Job Corps
Center in Astoria, Oregon.
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17

RETIRED CAPTAIN
FRED HERZBERG
Captain Fred Herzberg, USCG (Ret.) has
been a champion of Coast Guard history for
decades, having founded both the Coast
Guard Museum/Northwest in Washington state
and the Foundation for Coast Guard History. He is
a major donor to the future National Coast Guard
Museum.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about the
National Coast Guard Museum?
A: Opening Day. I can’t wait for it to happen and I
plan to be there.
Q: What does the general public need to know about
the Coast Guard?
A: So many heroes. The list of people throughout
Coast Guard history. Sacrifice is the key word, to put
themselves on the line for other people.
A: In 1994, I retired from my consulting firm and
invested in the stock market. Being from the
Seattle area, I chose local companies: Microsoft,
Starbucks, Costco. I’ve been very lucky. The stocks
increased dramatically. By donating, I don’t have to
pay appreciation on the increase in the stock and I
can support the Museum. It’s a win-win.
Q: What has been the most meaningful aspect of your
Coast Guard service?
A: When I met people at the Academy in 1951, as
part of the class of 55, they became brothers. To
me, the Coast Guard and supporting the Museum
is the same: it’s comradery, working together. The
Coast Guard does great things, with few people
and very inadequate resources. If others who went
before have done it, then we can do it.
... everything I have
in the world, I owe
to the Coast Guard.
Q: What motivates you to support the National Coast
Guard Museum?
A: When I was 17, my dad was in the hospital with
an incurable ailment, then the roof literally fell in
on our home in New York in November. It was a
desperate situation. I went to the Academy and
everything I have in the world, I owe to the Coast
Guard.
Q: You chose to make a major gift to the Museum by
contributing appreciated stock in early 2020. Why
did you choose to contribute with stocks instead of
cash?
To make a stock gift, contact Amanda Boaz, Manager
of Annual Giving, at aboaz@coastguardmuseum.org
or 860.443.4200.
To explore major gifts or gift naming opportunities,
please contact Danielle Degnan, Chief Development
Officer at ddegnan@coastguardmuseum.org or
18
860.207.0624.
THE LONG BLUE LINE

"Our nation richly deserves a National Coast Guard Museum in
which to honor the heritage of service of United States Coast Guard
men and women, and to inspire our next generation of problem
solvers, innovators, and critical thinkers. I am encouraged about
the progress thus far, and am committed to championing continued
momentum towards building a National Coast Guard Museum."
ADM Karl Schultz
Commandant United States Coast Guard
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Susan J. Curtin
CHAIR
Partner, Power Family Enterprises
CAPT Wes Pulver, USCG (Ret.)
PRESIDENT
National Coast Guard Museum
Association
RADM Richard M. Larrabee, USCG (Ret.)
TREASURER
Past Director, Ports Department, the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey
CDR Kevin Harkins, Ph.D., USCG (Ret.)
SECRETARY
CEO, Harkcon, Inc.
Jeff Kingsley
COO Known
Steve Lovelette
President, JMB Financial Advisors
ADM James M. Loy, USCG (Ret.)
21 st Commandant of the USCG
MCPOCG Vincent W. Patton, Ed.D.,
USCG (Ret.)
President/National Commander,
Non-Commissioned Officers Association
MUSEUM
AMBASSADORS
Bruce Buckley
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 25-6
MCPO Kyle Takakjian, USCGR (Ret.)
U.S. Coast Guard Reserve
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
COMMITTEE
Gordy Bunch, Chair
ADM Thad W. Allen, USCG (Ret.)
Brandy Birtcher
The Honorable Andrew H. Card, Jr.
The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Lucy Duncan
RADM Tom Gilmour, USCG (Ret.)
Michael Greenwald
The Honorable Michael P. Jackson
The Honorable Jeh C. Johnson
Jeff Kingsley
RADM Mary Landry, USCG (Ret.)
Sarah Miller
Tom Niles
Joe Pyne
The Honorable Thomas J. Ridge
Dave Waldmann
HONORARY
CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
t
President George H. W. Bush (1999-2018)
t
Arnold Palmer (1999-2016)
J.D. Power III
SECRETARIES
CIRCLE *
Norman Y. Mineta, Co-Chair
Tom Ridge, Co-Chair
Alan S. Boyd
James H. Burnley, IV
Andrew H. Card, Jr.
Michael Chertoff
Mimi Weyforth Dawson
Elizabeth Dole
Mortimer L. Downey, III
Michael Jackson
Jeh C. Johnson
James M. Loy
Janet A. Napolitano
Federico Peña
Arthur J. Rothkopf
Paul A. Schneider
Samuel K. Skinner
Rodney E. Slater
*Former Federal Cabinet and Deputy
Secretaries responsible for oversight of the
Coast Guard are assisting in promoting and
supporting the Museum project.
BUILDING THE NATIONAL
COAST GUARD MUSEUM
When the MOST is Expected
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19

14th
DISTRICT
LABOR OF HERCULES
An Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew prepares to
take off from Hawaii to deliver medical supplies to American Samoa,
April 1, 2020. The delivery of medical supplies was a joint effort involving
the Coast Guard, Air Force, and FEMA as part of the national response
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
photo: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West (Released)
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