Sept. 8, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Peacock—Coast Guardsman and “World’s Fastest Human” 90 years ago

He initially advanced to coxswain designation, but later became a Boatswain’s Mate First Class. Ultimately, he was designated Chief Specialist in athletics.

Sept. 1, 2023

The Long Blue Line: The infamous James Alderman and redemption of CG-249 100 years ago

The next morning, they would return to Fort Lauderdale and resume the grind of chasing rum runners. 

Aug. 23, 2023

The Long Blue Line: A tragedy remembered — SS Marine Electric sinking 40 years ago, part three

The shipwreck that prompted the creation of the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program is recalled by the pilot of one of the helicopters sent to rescue survivors on that fateful night.

Aug. 21, 2023

The Long Blue Line: A tragedy remembered — SS Marine Electric sinking 40 years ago, Part Two

The shipwreck that prompted the creation of the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program is recalled by the pilot of one of the helicopters sent to rescue survivors on that fateful night.

Aug. 18, 2023

The Long Blue Line: A tragedy remembered — SS Marine Electric sinking 40 years ago, Part One

The shipwreck that prompted the creation of the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program is recalled by the pilot of one of the helicopters sent to rescue survivors on that fateful night.

Aug. 7, 2023

The Long Blue Line: The Ironwood—wartime ATON in Vietnam

"Back then it was less expensive to repair a ship in Japan than in a U.S. shipyard."

July 26, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Part III “When I say Americans, I mean all Americans!” — Segregation’s take-down by President Harry Truman

Denial of employment and promotion, and separate dining and restroom facilities often characterized the experience and limited upward mobility for African American workers.

July 24, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Part II — “Available and needed workers have been barred from employment” — the segregated military and civil service environments

The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS), predecessor to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), utilized both free and enslaved Black people, and restricted their roles to cooks, stewards and seamen.

July 20, 2023

The Long Blue Line: “There Shall be Equal Opportunity for All” — Why President Truman’s desegregation orders were necessary

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.

July 17, 2023

The Long Blue Line: Coast Guard helps rescue U.S. submarine Squalus over 80 years ago!

Trapped and tragically drowned in the flooded after compartments were 24 officers and sailors plus two civilian technicians. This left 32 officers and sailors and one civilian technician alive in the unflooded forward compartments.