The Coast Guard turned 225 this week, and the birthday was marked with a special ceremony in New London.
New London is famously the home of the Coast Guard Academy, founded there in its modern form in 1910. It also hosts a Coast Guard station which serves the Southeastern Connecticut shoreline, and it's the future home of the Coast Guard Museum.
“The United States Coast Guard’s bond with the state of Connecticut runs as wide and deep as Long Island Sound,” said New London mayor Daryl Justin Finizio. “For over 100 years now, the future leaders of the Coast Guard have been trained right here in our City of New London.”
Congressman Joe Courtney highlighted the role of the Coast Guard research and development center, which is also based in Connecticut. “That is absolutely doing cutting edge work for our nation in terms of maritime challenges, whether it’s in the Arctic or down at the Gulf of Mexico when the oil spill took place,” he told those gathered for the ceremony on New London's City Pier.
Academy Superintendent Rear Admiral James Rendon spoke of the importance of the Coast Guard mission. “In a typical year, the Coast Guard responds to 19,790 search and rescue cases, saves 3,560 lives and more than $77 million in property,” he said. “Work with impact, work that feels good, that’s worthwhile. We are, Semper Paratus, always ready for the public good.”
The nearby Navy base provided a 13 gun salute at the ceremony to honor the Coast Guard and mark the cooperation of the two services.
