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Edith Munro—leader, mentor, SPAR and Medal of Honor hero mother
—Edith Munro will always be remembered for raising one of the Coast Guard and Marine Corps’ greatest heroes…but few people know that Munro was also Lt. Munro, of the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Corps—also known as SPARs.
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Dorothy Stratton—Wartime Coast Guard trailblazer and SPAR Leader
Coast Guard Capt. Dorothy M. Stratton held a life-long commitment to public service and was an inspirational leader during a very difficult time in the nation’s history.
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Master Chief McShan—leader, mentor, trailblazer and FRC namesake.
—A 20-year veteran of the service, the first African American woman to achieve the enlisted rank of master chief and distinguished role model for the Coast Guard’s core values.
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“When I say Americans, I mean all Americans!” — Segregation’s take-down by President Harry Truman
—On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed a pair of executive orders, the combination of which banned racial segregation in the armed forces and federal civil service. This article offers context on this occurrence and explores their significance more than 75 years after being signed.
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Lewis Wescott—the lost grave of a heroic Pea Island lifesaver
—Nearly lost to history, the grave of Capt. Lewis Wescott is discovered in the underbrush in Jarvisburg, North Carolina.
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Melvin Williams, Jr.—An African American Coast Guardsman’s aviation story
—After hearing about a ship rescued by the United States Coast Guard, Melvin Williams, Jr. knew that would be his path in life and enlisted in the Coast Guard.
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First to serve, first to fight and first to sacrifice—African Americans in the U.S. Coast Guard
—The history of African American participation in the Coast Guard and its predecessor services dates back to the very founding of the Service in 1790.
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Coast Guard pioneers the marine radio over 100 years ago!
—On Aug. 23, 1899, the terse message: “Sherman is sighted,” announced the return of the troopship after the Spanish-American War. Transmitted from Lightship 70, this message was the first wireless ship-to-shore telegraph message in U.S. history.
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Built to Last—The early days of the 210-foot cutter fleet
—Despite their vintage, the iconic Reliance class cutters and their dedicated crews continue to carry out Coast Guard lifesaving, law enforcement, and homeland security missions.
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1957—First U.S. transit of the Northwest Passage
—The story of how three United States Coast Guard cutters successfully break through and officially chart what had become known as the fabled Northwest Passage.