Nov. 5, 2021

The Long Blue Line: “Sooner Squadron”—First Native American Women to enlist in the Coast Guard 

At least six women from Oklahoma’s tribal nations served in the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserves (“SPARS”) during World War II. They enlisted for the same reasons as other American women and performed the same duties, yet newspaper reporters sensationalized their stories with popular culture stereotypes. These SPARS allowed male Coast Guardsmen

Oct. 15, 2021

The Long Blue Line: Pacific War veteran Sy Siegel, 101 years strong and still Semper Paratus! 

Sy Siegel is one of many distinguished combat veterans of the long blue line.

Oct. 5, 2021

The Long Blue Line: USS Durant—Coast Guard and Navy warship of World War II and Cold War

Surprisingly, in the Coast Guard’s 230-year history, the service has operated very few purpose-built naval warships. However, during World War II, Coast Guardsmen operated a number of smaller classes of warships, including sub chasers, patrol gunboats, patrol craft, patrol frigates, and destroyer escorts. The USS Durant (DE-389) was one of several

Sept. 2, 2021

The Long Blue Line: “Hot Rocks”—a Coast Guardsman on the beach at Iwo Jima

[This essay was excerpted from the book chapter of the same name: “Hot Rocks,” Sea, Surf and Hell: The U.S. Coast Guard in World War II (New York: Prentice-Hall, 1945), 276-79.]Because of the concentrated mortar fire, which the Japanese are laying down on this landing area, it is one of the bloodiest of all the assault beaches in the Pacific War to

July 30, 2021

The Long Blue Line: Danmark—the friend-ship between Denmark and the Coast Guard

How did a ship without a nation become a training platform for the U.S. Coast Guard?

July 23, 2021

The Long Blue Line: Last of the Coast Guard fishing fleet— Hurricane San Calixto and the loss of EM Dow

During World War I and World War II, the Menhaden fishing fleet became a ready reserve for the Navy and Coast Guard.

June 4, 2021

The Long Blue line: “Lucky Ox”—surviving the killing fields of D-Day

Operation “Overlord” led to the defeat of Nazi Germany and end of the Second World War in Europe. "Lucky Ox" being one of the Coast Guard heroes of the operation.

March 12, 2021

The Long Blue Line: In their words: A busy year for the SPARS that operated LORAN Station Unit 21 in 1944

Hear from the women who ran Unit 21 during World War II.

March 5, 2021

The Long Blue Line: Japanese “Good Luck” Flag captured in the Battle of Eniwetok 

Most Good Luck Flags date from before or during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II from 1937 to 1945.

Feb. 19, 2021

The Long Blue Line: Lt. j.g. Harvey Russell--African-American trailblazer in the U.S. Sea Services

Celebrating African American Heritage with the second African American who attended officer candidate school.