NCGMA Newsletter 2023 (Summer)

A FAMILY
AFFAIR
Honoring their late father, retired United
States Coast Guard Captain Graeme
Mann, and the final wishes of their
mother, Barbara Mann, three siblings, Wilson,
Gary, and Emily joined together to make a gift
to the National Coast Guard Museum. In their
own words, here is their story.
Q: What did the Coast Guard mean to
you and your family while you were
growing up?
A: Being in the Coast Guard meant that no
matter where my parents were stationed, they
had an instant “Coastie” family. When my father
graduated from the Coast Guard Academy, his
first assignment was in Honolulu, Hawaii, on
a buoy tender. When they arrived, my mother
instantly had 14 “sisters,” many were also
young newly married Coast Guard wives. They
all had nicknames for each other indicating
instant friendships. My mother’s nickname was
“Mighty Mouse” because of her petite size
and boundless energy. This was so important
for wives and friends to help each other and
mentor each other while the husbands were out
at sea for up to 6 months at a time.
Our father grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania,
with one older brother, one younger brother,
and two younger sisters. The family didn’t have
much money during the depression. The Coast
Guard gave him the ability to break out of a
meager lifestyle—to provide an opportunity
for a very rewarding career. He was the first
child in his family to have the opportunity to
go to college. He appreciated the opportunity
to complete his grad work at MIT and finished
with a Masters in Naval Architecture and Naval
Engineering. Even though he was an officer,
he was a true mechanic and loved hands-on
work. He published a paper on propulsion drive
shaft improvements, worked on the gas turbine
propulsion for the Hamilton high speed cutter
class, and worked on the propulsion design for
the Polar Star and Polar Sea. But his true home
was down in the engine room. While in port or
at the shipyards, he would get calls after hours
to troubleshoot problems, debate options, and
talk through potential solutions. But when the
ship called exclaiming “Redbugs in the Engine
Room, we need your help!”—well, that meant
there were lobsters on board.
Ultimately being a part of the Coast Guard
meant that there was no stronger unit than
our family. We had no choice but to cling
together and get through whatever we needed
to because we moved so often that we were
the only real constant in each other’s lives. The
three of us are completely different and yet full
of profound love, respect, and compassion for
one another—as we were of our parents, in part
because of our shared Coast Guard experience.
Q: With so many important philanthropic
opportunities, what made you choose
to support the National Coast Guard
Museum?
A: Our father adored being in the Coast Guard.
His career, along with his family, was truly his
pride and joy. And my mother was right there
with him all the time. It would not even occur to
us to do otherwise. We knew nothing about the
museum, but shortly before our mother died, she
showed us a magazine article and expressed
her wish to contribute. She started the ball
rolling, and it was an honor for us to make this
gift as a family.
Q: What is the funniest family memory
you would like to share with our readers
to bring to life your father and mother?
A: We loved visiting my father on his various
ships, and I (Emily) am so sentimental about that
particular wardroom smell to this day. I could
pinpoint it anywhere, and it always brings me
joy because it meant he was home.
Q: What is your hope for the National
Coast Guard Museum?
A: The Nation knows so much about the other
branches of the Armed Forces because of their
involvement in war, and, to a certain extent, not
many of our friends growing up were familiar
with the Coast Guard either. When asked why
he chose the Coast Guard, our father said, “It’s
about saving lives, not taking them.” We hope
this museum shares the great works achieved by
the Coast Guard community and their families.
And as education has always been important to
our family, so too do we hope this museum will
educate people to the important mission of the
United States Coast Guard.
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NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM ASSOCIATION