The Long Blue Line (Fall 2022)

PORTRAITS OF SERVICE
There are thousands of untold stories that are not in the history books. The Long Blue Line is a
fantastic platform to share your personal journeys from the diverse mission sets of the Coast Guard.
We are excited to provide a place where readers can share their Coast Guard story. We’ve made it
easy for you with a simple questionnaire at coastguardmuseum.org/retirees. TELL YOUR STORY!
AMT1 Keith Young
Monroe, OR
Keith Young’s Coast Guard career started
after he had already served six years in the
U.S. Air Force. After completing prior service
boot camp, he was assigned to the buoy tender
BASSWOOD. He was always destined to return to
the air and took part in several notable rescues.
His favorite assignment was at Air Station Humboldt
Bay where the remote geography brought the
crew together. Young remembers it as “a beautiful
location and had a very tight crew that shared a lot
of fun and heartbreak. We were a family.”
One of the most memorable experiences from his
time there came on November 22, 1996 when an
Air National Guard C-130, call sign King 56 crashed
off Cape Mendocino due to an electrical failure. His
citation for his Coast Guard Commendation Medal
reads in part: “Upon arrival at the crash site, Petty
Officer Young was faced with a large debris field
and strong fumes from the jet fuel saturating the
water. When a survivor was located, he made rapid
preparations for a difficult night rescue swimmer
deployment. Despite 12 foot waves, Young
successfully recovered both the swimmer and the
survivor. He calmed the near-death survivor and
kept him conscious during the flight and assisted
the rescue swimmer with administering first aid.
Medical personnel credited his efforts with keeping
the survivor alive enroute.”
In the end, that person was the sole survivor of
King 56, found 60 miles off shore.
AMT1 Young retired 2001 and worked for Intel
in Hillsboro, OR for five years. Then he joined
Columbia Helicopters, where he still works flying
to New Guinea, South America, Egypt and Alaska
to name a few destinations.
“In the Coast Guard, I got my A&P License and
have made aviation my life's work.”
Approximately 45 young Oregon men were
honored to be sworn into the U.S. Coast
Guard in the Waterfront Park on the shore of
the Willamette River in June, 1972—50 years
ago.
They were named a highly unusual name, The Rose
Company—recruited by the local Portland arm of the
Coast Guard as part of the Portland Rose Festival
Fleet week activities, including and especially in
celebration of the arrival of the fleet.
These young men (Rod Buchanan was barely 18)
would remain as a group and travel to Government
Island, Alameda, CA for nine weeks of basic training.
From there, they would be stationed all over the U.S.
Buchanan headed for Charlevoix, MI to help crew
the SUNDEW, a 180 foot buoy tender/ice breaker on
the Great Lakes.
Buchanan recalls, but adds that the following
thoughts and feelings were mutually held by the other
young recruits as well:
PRIDE: Serving the United States in this way, and
being known as coming from the Portland area.
UNCERTAINTY: Where will we end up? How far
away from family? Can I “cut the mustard” and get
CITY OF ROSES COMPANY
Portland, OR
Submitted by Caroline Buchanan
through a rigorous physical and mental training
challenge?
It didn’t take long to bond and come to the realization
that we were all in this together. Some for four years,
some for a career.
It was years later as recruitments continued to
happen, that the uniqueness of that June, 1972
became apparent. The Rose Company was not
only a unique name, but to the best of anyone’s
knowledge, it was the only recruitment of all local
men to be placed into a company prior to being sent
to boot camp. Once in Alameda, the civilian clothes
got shipped home and replaced by uniforms, the hair
and beards got cut off, the dental work got done, the
vaccinations were administered and the education
and physical training began, building the necessary
confidence and skill to get started on their future jobs
within the U.S. Coast Guard.
So in celebration of 50 years, it is hoped that any
Rose Company Coasties will return or make contact.
A reunion would be a gratifying thing. The Fleet
returns to Portland in 2023.
Contact Rod Buchanan at 54rodneyb@gmail.com
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