HAPPY BIRTHDAY COAST GUARD

This Day in Coast Guard History

• 1790-Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton’s proposal to build ten cutters to protect the new nation’s revenue (Stat. L. 145, 175).  Alternately known as thesystem of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863.  The cutters were placed under the control of the Treasury Department.  This date marks the officially recognized birthday of the Coast Guard.

• 1854-Congress appropriated $12,500 for purchase of boats for life-saving purposes at a number of designated ports on the Great Lakes.

• 1894-Facilities of marine hospitals were extended to keepers and crews of the Life-Saving Service.

• 1949-Congress approved Public Law 207, which revised, codified and enacted into law title 14 of the United Stated Code.  This set forth for the first time a clear, concise statutory statement of the duties and functions of the U.S. Coast Guard.  The Act confirmed that the Coast Guard was a branch of the armed forces of the United States, confirmed it in its general functions of marine safety, maritime law enforcement, and military readiness to operate as a service in the Navy upon declaration of war or when the president directs.

Why I Serve: Craig Hall – Coast Guard Compass continues its series of essay’s with the story of a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the volunteer service that augments the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Flickr Page grew by 49 pictures yesterday as the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, unit Coast Guard Birthday celebrations and the Coast Guard Yard added their pictures to the Week in the Coast Guard series