The Long Blue Line (Summer 2022)
Quarterly magazine serving the Coast Guard's Active Duty, Reserve, and Retirees.
Quarterly magazine serving the Coast Guard's Active Duty, Reserve, and Retirees.
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THE COAST GUARD<br />
HERITAGE MUSEUM<br />
BARNSTABLE,<br />
MASSACHUSETTS<br />
ACAPT H.F. (Buck) Baley, USCG (Ret)<br />
Vice President<br />
Coast Guard Heritage Museum<br />
MASSACHUSETTS IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE<br />
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD. Both the USCG<br />
and the U.S. Customs Service have late 18th century<br />
origins under the U.S. Treasury and have worked<br />
closely together since that time. Appropriately, for<br />
the past 17 years, the Coast Guard Heritage Museum<br />
has been located in the old Customs House on Cape<br />
Cod in the village of Barnstable, MA. It is one of only<br />
two free-standing regional museums in the country<br />
dedicated to telling the Coast Guard story. It also<br />
celebrates and preserves much of the rich local<br />
maritime history on the Cape.<br />
Ironically, the Coast Guard Heritage Museum was<br />
the brainstorm of two former Navy men: Cape Cod<br />
historian and lawman Lou Cataldo, our founder<br />
and first president, and CDR Maurice Gibbs, USN<br />
(Ret.) of Nantucket. CDR Gibbs was also a founding<br />
member of the U.S. Life-Saving Heritage Association<br />
and President Emeritus of the Nantucket Life-Saving<br />
Museum.<br />
Three former Coasties, Jim Walker, USCG (Ret.) of<br />
the American Lighthouse Foundation, Albert L. “John”<br />
Manning, USCG and CPO Dan Davidson USCG (Ret.),<br />
both charter members of the Eastwind Association,<br />
came on board during the planning stages.<br />
<strong>The</strong> doors were opened to the public in May 2005.<br />
RADM David P. Pekoske, USCG, keynote speaker<br />
at the Commissioning Ceremony, was joined by a<br />
host of past and present Coast Guard dignitaries. He<br />
Photo courtesy of<br />
Barnstable Patrioy &<br />
photographer,<br />
Alan Belkanish<br />
was impressed with the mission and the fact that the<br />
museum was housed in a former U.S. Custom House.<br />
“It is most fitting,” RADM Pekoske said, “since all<br />
Coast Guard officers and Petty Officers to this day<br />
are sworn Customs Officers.”<br />
Underway, but hard pressed not only for funding, but<br />
also for exhibits, the Museum struggled to keep afloat<br />
for the first three years, even with the Town paying the<br />
operating expenses.<br />
In 2008, MKCS Bill Collette, USCG (Ret.) took over<br />
the helm as President. Along with Clerk/Secretary<br />
Francis Broadhurst (USN veteran and local journalist)<br />
and Treasurer Mary Manning (wife of USCG veteran<br />
John Manning), he worked with the town, grew<br />
an active Board of Directors, expanded publicity<br />
and contributions. Put simply, he revitalized and<br />
reorganized the Museum to get it back on course for<br />
future success. Bill continues to actively serve today<br />
as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive<br />
Committee.<br />
Today, the Museum utilizes over 2,700 square feet<br />
on both floors of the building to house an extensive<br />
40 SUMMER <strong>2022</strong><br />
THE LONG BLUE LINE
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