Coast Guard remembers Blackthorn tragedy, honors fallen crewmembers
A wreath at the 36th annual Blackthorn memorial service in St. Petersburg, Fla. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Coast Guard honored 23 fallen crewmembers during the 36th anniversary memorial service of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn collision, Thursday in St. Petersburg.
The Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn sank after colliding with...
Coast Guard remembers Blackthorn tragedy
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guardmen from the surrounding area, along with families of crewmembers of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn and numerous other guests attended the 35th annual Blackthorn memorial ceremony near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida, Wednesday.
The Blackthorn sank after colliding with the tanker Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan. 28, 1980....
Coast Guard holds annual Blackthorn memorial service in St. Petersburg, Fla.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guardsmen, survivors, family members, and community members from around the Tampa Bay area commemorated the 34th anniversary of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn tragedy, Tuesday, at Blackthorn Memorial Park in St. Petersburg.
Tuesday’s ceremony consisted of an aerial salute by aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, remarks by Adm. Robert J. Papp, Jr.,...
Coast Guard hosts dedication ceremony at Sector St. Petersburg in honor of Blackthorn crewmember
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg crewmembers hosted a building dedication ceremony and honored a fallen shipmate at the sector, Monday.
The dedication of the Frank J. Sarna Patrol Boat Support Building and Fitness Center was in honor of Ensign Frank J. Sarna III, an officer assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn at the time of the cutter’s sinking January 1980.
After...
Coast Guard honors fallen Blackthorn shipmates
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Families and Coast Guard members gathered at the 33rd annual service of remembrance honoring the lives of those lost in the sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn at the Blackthorn Memorial Park here, Monday.
The Blackthorn sank after colliding with the tanker Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan 28, 1980. The Blackthorn lost 23 of 50 crewmembers during the...
Coast Guard Cutter William Flores commissioned in Tampa, Fla.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Coast Guard Cutter William Flores, the third of a planned 58 Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters, was commissioned at the Port of Tampa, Saturday.
The William Flores’ location of the commissioning honored the history of the cutter’s namesake. On the night of Jan. 28, 1980, Coast Guard Seaman William “Billy” Flores, 18, died while assisting his shipmates after the...
Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn Memorial Service Video
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Families and Coast Guard members gathered at the 32nd Annual Service of Remembrance honoring the lives of those lost in the tragic sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn on Jan. 28, 2012.
The Blackthorn sank after colliding with the tanker Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan 28, 1980. Twenty-three of the Blackthorn’s 50 crewmembers lost their lives during...
Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn memorial service to be held Saturday
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The public is invited to attend the 32nd anniversary memorial service of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn collision at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Blackthorn Memorial Park off Interstate 275.
The Blackthorn sank after colliding with the tanker Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan 28, 1980. Twenty-three of the Blackthorn’s 50 crewmembers lost their lives during...
Shipmates, the heart of the Coast Guard
FIreman Kyle Vrable, the first recipient of the Seaman Apprentice William R. Flores award
Shipmate, in the Coast Guard, is a term that goes beyond endearment. It embodies the bond forged by sailors who serve on isolated ships in the vast expansions of the world’s seas. Shipmates are born out of arduous duty and live forever in the shared memories of their fellow Coast Guardsmen.
The title shipmate...
