THE FIFTH ARMED SERVICE

THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD IN WORLD WAR II

Of the 22 Attack Transports in the Guadalcanal invasion on August 7, 1942 18 were manned by members of the U.S. Coast Guard. Their hundreds of 40 foot LCVP landing craft carried the bulk of the Marines brought to the bloody beaches in the first waves. The Coast Guard sailors of World War II were known as the "Hooligan Navy". Some called them "Shallow Water Sailors" but the 171,168 men of this only all-volunteer branch of service saw combat in every theatre of war. From 1941 to the end of the war in 1945, Coast Guard sailors manned 80 vessels of their own, 351 Navy and 288 Army ships. In addition to the Attack Transports, they served on Destroyer Escorts, Patrol Frigates, Anti-Submarine Escort Cutters and dozens of Landing Ship Tanks (LST's). The earliest LST's commissioned were crewed by Coast Guard personnel. Their ships saw action in the South and Central Pacific and the European Theatre. North Africa, France, Italy and the Aleutians, Sicily, Anzio, Normandy, Attu, Tarawa, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were among the landings supported by Coast Guard manned ships. Some of these "Hooligans" served as Beach Masters directing troop, tank laden and supply landing craft onto invasion beaches. Coast Guard tenders and tugs salvaged ships that had been torpedoed and escorted them to safety, other vessels performed search and rescue duties saving numbers of airmen and seamen from sunken ships and evacuating wounded Army and Marines from the invasion beaches. A flotilla of sixty 82 -foot cutters rescued 1,438 men from the Normandy beaches. Coast Guard patrol bombers from bases in Greenland searched for German submarines. Isolated Loran navigation and weather stations were among the varied duties performed by this branch of military service. Coast Guard manned "Hunter Killer" anti-submarine escort vessels were credited with sinking 11 Nazi submarines and the capture of two surface vessels in the Atlantic. The U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to having been the only all volunteer branch holds the distinction of being the nations oldest seagoing service. Founded in 1790 by President Washington it began with a total of 10 boats. Today it operates a vast fleet of boats and ships, fixed wing and rotary aircraft. On an average day it responds to 109 search and rescue calls, assist 192 person in distress and saves 10 lives in addition to their duties in the interdiction of drugs and illegal immigrants. It is the only armed military force with police powers. The wartime contribution of this armed service in WW II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf is often overlooked in article's and memorials to these conflicts. These sailors fought and died alongside those of the other branches. Their contribution deserves recognition.

Phil Schneiderman  philaine@enter.net November6,2003
The author served aboard the LST #20 in the Pacific during World War II.
Reprinted with permission of the author

Addendum to Coast Guard article April 29, 2004

In cooperation with the United States Navy the Coast Guard has had more than 1,200 personnel deployed in the Persian Gulf and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Four 110-foot Cutters, a port security unit and two law enforcement detachments composed of 300 persons comprise today's Coast Guard contingent in the Gulf. Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal was killed and Boatswains Mate Joseph Ruggiiero was injured as they prepared to board a dhow that was attempting to attack the Iraqi Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal in late April of this year.