Coast Guard has a rich history to recall on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, Americans remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep the nation safe, strong, and peaceful. As Coast Guard Auxiliarists, we’ll pause to pay homage to the rich history of the armed sea services and both the active duty and reserve components of the U.S. Coast Guard's military and law enforcement sacrifice.

While the Coast Guard is America's longest serving sea service, dating back to 1790, Congress first enacted a bill to create a Coast Guard Temporary Reserve in 1939 to allow sail and power boat owners to volunteer their time, talent — and their boats — in a program to promote safety on America’s coastal and inland water ways. In 1941, at the onset of World War II, the Temporary Reserve, or, TR, became a volunteer military service component of the Coast Guard, while an auxiliary was created — and remains — an unpaid, civilian force multiplier.

During World War II, the Coast Guard active duty worked and fought shoulder to shoulder with Navy, Marines, and Army in the Pacific and the Atlantic, largely because the Coast Guard becomes part of the Navy in times of national peril. Small boat coxswains piloted Marines to Guadalcanal in 1942 and Army troops to Normandy in 1944. Off the French coast of Normandy, the nicknamed “Matchbox Fleet” of over 80 Coast Guard cutters deployed with the Navy on D-Day making over 480 rescues in the surf the first day of Operation Overlord. In the Pacific, the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient, Douglas Munro, earned it posthumously off Guadalcanal by placing his shallow draft, plywood landing craft between enemy machine-gun fire and Marines he was charged with protecting.

It should be no surprise, then, that there is no daylight among members of the Nation's sea services as a result of this rich, collective military history.

Meanwhile, Temporary Reservists used sailing and motor vessels to form a picket patrol along the Eastern Seaboard to watch and listen for enemy U-boats and patrolled beaches and harbors to guard against sabotage on the homefront. Uniformed, volunteer, civilian Auxiliarists augmented their active duty and reservist counterparts stateside freeing the latter for combat roles at home and abroad during and after World War II.

The Coast Guard active duty and reserve continues to meet growing military and law enforcement challenges inside and outside the United States, ensuring safety for Americans, our inland waters, and the global maritime commons we rely on for national security. This rich history, born of conflict and victory, is also not lost on auxiliarists who served — and continue to serve — as a civilian force multiplier for Team Coast Guard without compensation nor a seabag allowance.

On this Memorial Day, auxiliarists are eternally grateful for the permanent military sacrifice of all those who have served. But we are uniquely situated to observe the commitment of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve. We thank them for remaining Semper Paratus, or, “Always Ready,” to assist Americans during peacetime as well as existential conflict. National Coast Guard Auxiliary service is our small way of saying thanks while we otherwise attempt to give back for the permanent sacrifice of our storied forbears.

It could be yours, too.

David Cmelik is a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist from Cedar Rapids. Credit to U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Bob Desh, U.S. Coast Guard retired, Regent, Foundation for Coast Guard History, Petty Officer First Class Corinne L. Zilnicki, and Retired U.S. Naval Reserve Cmdr. Timothy R. Dring, for historical material sourced at www.mycg.uscg.mil. The views expressed here are exclusively those of the author.