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The seventeen-year-old planner died that cold Alaskan night. The guy who had to have it all planned out just right before he started living learned something everyone should know but few seem to understand: Each day is a new life, each hour, each heartbeat. You can only set a general course in your life, standby for the gales and shoals that come along and bail like hell when your world is holed. But to make what time you've got worthwhile, You Have To Go Out.
 
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Just some I found on the interwebs.


They train at the mouth of the Columbia for a reason - before the dams it was the graveyard of the Pacific.
Now it is still dangerous.


44 MLB
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52ft Victory off Yaquina Bay (Newport OR)
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I enlisted in the CG mid 80's and within a year or so, that mantra was phased out. The boys before me lived by it and I'm sure had a tougher go of it, but as Admiral Yost rolled in (the Yost Guard), guys had to shave their beards they'd worn for 20 years and we had to get the blessing of the district commander before we could respond when the weather hit specific wind/wave numbers. We BS'd the numbers quite a bit to avoid asking for permission and still went out in chit that we shouldn't have, at least while I was there, but those 44's were tanks. 3/16" Corten steel hulls and 6V53's that a guy could beat the hell out of, and they just kept chugging along at 11 knots. Ran the 44's, a 30' and the last 36' wooden MLB (Woody) in the CG out of Depoe Bay, Or. Never rolled one but laid a 44' over a good 130 degrees on a bad day while trying to surf a big one in. Enough that we took on about 150 gallons of water through the air intakes and the mast dragged in the water and got bent to the point had to take the boat out of service for a bit. Caught some crap for that one. Also, took an 18 foot breaker on the bow of Woody once and it bent her bronze spray shield back and pinned the throttle down full astern. That was a trip. Three guys pushing and pulling on the spray shield trying to get it bent back up in heavy surf while hauling arse full astern on top of trying to maneuver enough not to get hammered by the next breaker in the set. Poor guy up in the "glory hole" was a brand new boot and scared white as a ghost.... :D Fun times man. Best and worst days of my life during my 20 years in the guard. If I had to do it again, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
 
I always figured him for Merchant Marines.
Popeye was a Coastie and during times of war, the Coast Guard becomes part of our Navy like during WWII.

The Coast Guardsmen wore Navy uniforms of course but they still kept their right sleeve USCG Shield throughout as well as the officers keeping their combination cap eagle and shield on anchor. You saw the cap devices on many of the old WWII news reels of Navy ships with Coast Guard crews.

I guess during WWII this might have made Popeye a temporary Navy guy too but I don't know if they ever portrayed him as also serving in our Merchant Marine (unsung hero's!)

"One hand for the Guard, and one hand for yourself," is the old joke when I did my time as a deck ape for the CG ;)
 
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My youngest is a MLB crewman ( CWO-2) at Coast Guard Town Newport, he absolutely loves it and signed up for life! You couldn't pry him off a 47 boat if you tried! Damn kids!

Never thought I would read that a warrant officer was a crewman on an MLB. When I was at Yaquina Bay we never saw officers, only petty officers - the OINC was a MCPO and it was pretty rare that one of the CPOs (there were three) would go out on the boats - in fact, one never did (the MK - I don't think he ever qualified IIRC).
 
Thanks for sharing this. It is a great read.

For as much chit we give you Coasties, it's all in fraternal jesting and sibling rivalry.

My cousin was an ET2 on a frigate in the Persian gulf in the 80s and told me about the USCG detachment they had onboard. That's some serious stuff.

I'm glad that we still have youth that step up and raise there hand to volunteer for the country.
 
I would rather ride out a hurricane on a submarine at 300' then on the surface anyday. I have had the opportunity to ride thru three of them. Got to give the puddle jumpers credit.
 
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