Giving thanks for the history and service of the Coast Guard

Below is my column in today's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

Growing up in Grand Haven, I remember regularly hearing complaints about the crowds of people descending upon our city for the Coast Guard Festival. However, in the 12 years I have been back home, I’ve come to enjoy watching our small city fill up with people who want to enjoy this place we can so often take for granted.

Part of what we can take for granted is the rather extraordinary history and place of the United States Coast Guard in our country’s history. Now if, as a resident of Grand Haven, you already know the history of the Coast Guard, feel free to skip the rest of this column. But if you are curious to learn some more about this uniformed service, then read on.

When the Coast Guard was created by Congress in 1790, it was originally known as the “Revenue Marine” or “Revenue Cutter Service,” and was an idea from Alexander Hamilton. (The lack of a song featuring the Coast Guard in the “Hamilton” musical is a true oversight that I hope Lin Manual Miranda will at some point correct – though they do get a shoutout in the song “The Adams Administration” if you listen closely.) The focus of the group was collecting customs duties at our nation’s seaports (hence “revenue” in the name). However, in 1915, the group was merged with the United States Life-Saving Service and became the modern Coast Guard we know today.

The United States Coast Guard is now one of the eight uniformed services (and one of the six armed services) in our country, with maritime law enforcement jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters, and also serving with a federal regulatory agency mission. One of the hallmarks of the Coast Guard is that it has both the security service mission above, but also a distinct humanitarian service.

Even though the Coast Guard is the second smallest of the military service branches in our country, in terms of membership, ours is still the largest and most powerful coast guard in the world. It surpasses the capabilities and size of most navies other countries might have. Indeed, it is the 12th-largest naval force in the world.

When it was created, it operated under the Department of Treasury (hence the connection to Hamilton and the original mission as a revenue service. After the second world war, the Coast Guard operated under the Department of Transportation from 1967 to 2003. Then, in 2003, it was transferred to Homeland Security as part of a massive reorganization of federal agencies.

During times of war, the Coast Guard can be transferred directly into the United States Department of the Navy – something that happened in both world wars. That said, the Coast Guard has actually been involved in every war from 1890 through the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. It not only protects the borders of our country, but safeguards sea lines of communication and commerce across territorial waters.

Each year, the Coast Guard saves tens of thousands of lives at sea and in bodies of water here in the U.S. It also brings emergency response and disaster relief for both man-made and natural disasters both domestically and around the world. Organizationally, authority is remarkably decentralized compared with other armed services, and significant responsibility can fall on the shoulders of even junior personnel. This is one of the reasons the Coast Guard is often praised for its ability to respond quickly in times of distress and disaster.

In a 2005 article in Time magazine, after the work of the Coast Guard in responding to Hurricane Katrina, Wil Milam, a rescue swimmer from Alaska, told the magazine, “In the Navy, it was all about the mission. Practicing for war, training for war. In the Coast Guard, it was, take care of our people and the mission will take care of itself.”

The lifesaving work of the Coast Guard after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform was featured in the film of the same name. Base Kodiak, the major Coast Guard shore installation in Kodiak, Alaska, was featured in a Weather Channel series and works closely with the film crew of the Discovery show “Deadliest Catch.”

There are 29 cities in our country that are designated as Coast Guard Cities, but Grand Haven, Michigan, was the first when we were designated “Coast Guard City, USA” by an act of Congress that was signed by President Bill Clinton on Nov. 13, 1998.

So, as the crowds descend on our city during this week, I hope you’ll join them in enjoying the amazing festival that our community has hosted since 1937. Remember that these crowds can be a hassle for year-round residents, but they are the lifeblood to many of our small businesses who rely on festival business to make it through the slower winter months. And if you see someone in uniform, thank them for their willingness to serve.

If you’re interested, you’re welcome to join our members at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 10 a.m. this Saturday, before the parade starts, for a service of Morning Prayer. We will begin with a patriotic hymn sing and then move into that time of Scripture and prayer together as we give thanks and pray for the well-being of those who serve in the Coast Guard. After morning prayer, our church will be selling pulled pork, hot dogs, snacks and drinks all to benefit the Unity School, a small school our church supports in Kaberomaido, Uganda. All are truly welcome.

About the writer: The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, Tribune community columnist, serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Information about his parish can be found at www.sjegh.com.