In the Lee of

The Longboat Flotilla 86 Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2017 Vol. 13, Ed. 3 Flotilla Commander Lou Hahn Flotilla Vice Commander Milton Goodman

USCGC Lawrence Lawson HOMEPORT: CAPE MAY NJ

[1! ] Summer has arrived and I am happy to welcome back from “sick bay” our Vice Commander, Chief of Staff, Milton Goodman - we missed you!

Our Flotilla meeting in May was held on Base Cape May where Seamen Tyler Bishop and Mark Krisak provided member training. They presented a power point slide show defining the duties of crewmen and women aboard small boats and cutters of the U.S.C.G. This presentation was very interesting to me as I have been teaching a similar class to the recruit companies @ Tracen for many years. The highlight of the meeting was the Stations petty officers securing a tour of the U.S.C.G.C. Lawrence Lawson.WPC 1120. The Petty Officers Smith and Will did an outstanding job leading the members through the crews work and living spaces ensuring that the members were able to understand the critical work done aboard Lawrence Lawson.

Semper Paratus, Lou Hahn, FC

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson gathers on the newly commissioned cutter during a commissioning ceremony held at Training Center Cape May, New Jersey, March 18, 2017.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)

CAPE MAY, N.J. – Adm. Charles Michel, vice commandant of the Coast Guard, presided over a ceremony commissioning the 20th Fast Response Cutter, Lawrence Lawson

The Lawrence Lawson and crew are homeported in Cape May, where they will perform multiple Coast Guard missions along the Mid-Atlantic coast such as law enforcement, and protecting America’s infrastructure from New Jersey to North Carolina. The cutter is named after Lawrence O. Lawson, keeper of the Evanston, Illinois, Lifeboat Station, who led a daring of the steam vessel Calumet, Nov. 28, 1889. “Since our very beginning, wherever the Coast Guard finds itself, we always form a special bond with the community we serve,” said Michel. “Communities like Cape May shower our Coast Guard men and women with amazing support.” “I greatly appreciate everyone attending today and making this ceremony so very special,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Rizzo, commanding officer of the Lawrence Lawson. “I know Capt. Lawson is looking down and while I am sure he is humbled by this honor. I know he is so proud that his name and spirit will be continuing to carry out the Coast Guard’s all-important maritime safety and security missions.”

[2! ] In three successive trips through the breakers, the crew brought all 18 members of Calumet’s complement ashore. The rescue was affected only after the display of extraordinary courage and heroism by the boat’s crew. For his resolute direction of his crew and dogged conduct of this rescue, Lawson became known throughout the U.S. Life-Saving Service. His leadership and heroic efforts in the rescue of the crew of Calumet did not go unnoticed and Lawson was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on Oct. 17, 1890. Of this rescue, the Life-Saving Service Annual Report for 1891 noted that: It was the opinion of all who were present that, but for the heroic conduct of this student crew, Coast Guard Compass every man belonging to the Calumet must have Written by Christopher Havern. perished. In recognition of their noble devotion Lawrence O. Lawson was keeper of the to duty, each man was presented with the Gold Evanston, Il., Lifeboat Station. Nov. 28, 1889, Lifesaving Medal, the highest token of its he and his crew, made up entirely of students appreciation that the Department can bestow. from nearby Northwestern University, came to Thanksgiving Day 1889 (28 November) will the aid of the foundering steam vessel doubtless ever be remembered by the crew of Calumet. Calumet, as truly a day for thanksgiving. For on In the course of affecting the rescue, Lawson this day the student surfmen of Northwestern and his crew traversed 15 miles through a gale and their fearless keeper kept them from a by train, by horseback and by foot. After two watery grave. failed attempts to conduct the rescue by firing a line to the vessel, Lawson decided to launch the surfboat. Under near-impossible icy conditions, the crew was finally able to launch.

[3! ] CONGRATULATIONS…

Shirley Ackerman receiving the Instructor Service Award for CY 2016 VOLUNTEER…

Whale of a Day

Date: Saturday July 8, 2017 Time: 8:30am - 4pm Rain or Shine Location: Clubhouse Road, Townbank, NJ

HELP MAN OUR BOOTH ! Time slots: anytime between 10-4:00. Uniform is trops

[4! ] VOLUNTEER… NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AUGUST 1, 2017

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.

The event has been held annually since 1984 and is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch in the United States and Canada. From the first National Night Out involved 2.5 million residents across 400 communities in 23 states, National Night Out has grown to include more than thirty-eight million residents in twenty-thousand communities across the USA as of 2016 The flotilla is registered for NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, on the ferry terminal grounds, on August 1st, from 5:00-9:00 PM. Help man our booth - time slots anytime from 5-8. It was very busy last year. Uniform is trops.

The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting Auxiliary Although not a requirement for participation, volunteers from D5NR to augment active duty Auxiliarists who wish to participate should have a and reserve personnel during response candid conversation with any employer(s) operations requiring activation of the Sector concerned in order to resolve any potential work Delaware Bay Incident Command Post (ICP). conflicts that might arise in an unscheduled (emergency) activation scenario. Auxiliarists selected for this duty must have Auxiliarists on this team will receive priority completed all mandatory training and must have a consideration for selection to attend Coast Guard current, favorable PSI. Those selected must agree ICS courses with open slots for D5NR Auxiliarists. to attend basic Incident Command Software They will also have an opportunity to participate as System (IMSS) training and to complete ICS 200, equal partners in a management team charged with 210, and 800 (online) as well as the Federal Cyber coordinating regional response and recovery from Awareness Challenge (online) within one (1) year, if maritime disasters or assuring public safety during they have not already done so. National Special Security Events (NSSE) such as the recent Democratic National Convention or the Selectees should expect initial assignment to 2017 Presidential Inauguration. Ultimately, the only Check-In/Status Recorder duties working under the lasting reward Auxiliarists who participate in this supervision of and with other Auxiliarists. After program can expect to receive will be the successful participation in two (2) training or real opportunity to work with some of the finest men and world incidents, and completion of the Mobile women who have ever donned a Coast Guard Auxiliary Support Team (MAST) Position uniform. Qualification Standard (PQS), these Auxiliarists will be eligible for other ICP assignments for which they Interested Auxiliarists should apply by email have Coast Guard or equivalent Auxiliary to [email protected] and include their certification. name, employee identification number (EMPLID), and membership status (AP, IQ, BQ, AX, etc.). The people who manage these programs make Respectfully submitted, every effort to coordinate well in advance for team Thomas V. Roberson member participation in scheduled exercises. Auxiliary Contingency Planning Assistant

[5! ] FALL DISTRICT TRAINING (D TRAIN)

The Fall District Training (D Train) is scheduled for 08-10 September, 2017 ,Reading, Pa.

Attendance at D Train is vital to members that have any interest in advancing their training. If you haven’t attended a D train this is a great opportunity to be around like-minded Auxiliarists who are the best at what they do. Meet members from other Divisions, Officers and Coast Guard. The active members in the entire District, come together along with Active Duty to teach, learn and share fellowship. Whether you decide to come for the weekend or just for the day you won’t be disappointed. Learn, sharpen your skills, and make sure you are ALWAYS READY to perform and assist the US Coast Guard as a proud member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary

When: second weekend in September 8-10th

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Reading PA

Deadline to Register is August 25 Registration opens online JULY 1, 2017 Registration is mandatory for anyone attending including day trippers

All new awards program, exciting and very honorable to receive! Friday night is now known as Fun Night, The theme is Wild,Wild West, dress in a costume for fellowship fun and games!

Training is offered by USCG staff, DSO’s and top instructors

For leaders or those who wish to become a leader, this is vital training.

Mingle with gold side, and Auxiliary from other areas.

Devotion to Duty Hallway: Booths from almost all staff categories designed for the FSO and SO officers or potential staff to talk with the district level staff.

Saturday night awards banquet, hear Top Officers speak.

[6! ] BOOK REVIEW

This flooding confronted the engineering team THE EMERALD MILE responsible for the Glen Canyon Dam at Page, The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Arizona with massive problems. They were faced Through with an unprecedented emergency that could have the Heart of the Grand Canyon caused the most catastrophic dam failure in history. Kevin Fedarko, 2014 In order to save the dam, a tremendous amount of water was being released through the dam tubes and sent spilling rapidly into the Colorado River.

Kenton Grua, a professional river guide, and two of his friends decided to use this man made flood as a hydraulic sling-shot. Their goal was to set an all time speed record for the fastest boat to run the entire length of the Colorado from Lee’s Ferry to Lake Mead.

Their boat, the Emerald Mile, was an oar powered wooden dory much like the one John Wesley Powell used in 1869 when he conducted the first river trip through the Grand Canyon. Grua rescued this boat after it had essentially been bashed and broken in a river accident. He put her pains-takenly back together.

At one time the Colorado River was the wildest river in the West. But then it was shackled by the construction of dams. First, the Hoover Dam and then the Glen Canyon Dam.This effectively reviewed by Charles Gravenstine sandwiched the river between two enormous concrete blocks and locked down what had been a For six years my wife and I have volunteered with wild and wonderful river. the National Park Service to live on a houseboat on Lake Powell and do graffiti and trash cleanup at Grua and his friends saw that this spring flood Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. For those presented them with probably a once in a life time who have seen Lake Powell you probably agree with kind of hydraulic ride down a river that was being me that the lake and the surrounding red rock returned to its ancestral fury. country is some of the most glorious and spectacular real estate on the planet. We have only This book will take you down 277 miles of an seen the peaceful side of the lake. This book takes insurgent river, through the most ferocious white you back to the spring of 1983 and the results of the water imaginable. So strap yourself in and tighten massive flooding all along the Colorado River due to your PFDs for this thrilling, white-knuckle adventure snow melt off. ride. (This book is available through the Cape May County Library system)

[7! ] IN THE NEWS… CAPE MAY, N.J. - The Associated Press The vessel's most notable mission came in 5/10/17 — The ship made famous in the book October 1991, when three strong storm systems and subsequent film "The Perfect Storm" has came together off the New England coast, been intentionally sunk off the New Jersey and generating 40-foot (12-meter) waves and wind Delaware coasts so it can become part of an gusts of more than 70 mph. artificial reef. The Tamaroa's crew helped save three people The 74 year old Tamaroa, a 205-foot (62-meter) aboard a sailboat that was caught in the storm. Coast Guard vessel was sent down about 33 They also rescued four of five crewmen of an Air nautical miles (61 kilometers) off the coast of National Guard helicopter that ran out of fuel Cape May, New Jersey. It was deployed in water during a similar rescue mission and had to be more than 120 feet (36.5 meters) deep after ditched in the ocean. patches were removed from holes that were pre- cut into its hull, according to the New Jersey Both events were documented in Sebastian Department of Environmental Protection. Junger's 1997 book, "The Perfect Storm," and a movie of the same name starring George The pre-cut holes were part of the extensive Clooney. work that had to be done before the ship could be sunk, including the removal of interior paneling and insulation as well as emptying and cleaning the vessel of all fuel and fluids. The ship turned on its side as it slowly went down in the calm water, then turned straight up as the bulk of the vessel went under water. It then disappeared from view as a person on board a neighboring vessel thanked the Tamaroa for its long service.

The Tamaroa was first commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1943 under the name Zuni and saw action during World War II when it helped tow damaged vessels across the war-torn Pacific In this May 30, 2000, file photo, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Ocean. It was transferred to the Coast Guard William Moeller of Northford, Conn., poses for a photo in front of the USS Tamaroa. Moeller was aboard the and renamed in 1946, then continued to serve Tamaroa during the 1991 rescue of five Air National until it eventually was decommissioned in 1994. Guardsmen who ditched their helicopter as they were trying to rescue the crew of a fishing boat during a fierce storm. Photo Credit: Ed Bailey/AP

[8! ] IN THE NEWS… Sea turtle saved by Coast Guard Atlantic City Press: Vincent Jackson Staff Writer

A loggerhead turtle was rescued on Monday June 12th about 3 miles east of Cape Henlopen near Lewes, Delaware, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Members of the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute, members of Sea Turtle Recovery and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson, a 154-foot fast response cutter, based out of Cape May, performed the rescue.

The crew of Lawrence Lawson were on when they spotted an ailing sea turtle and monitored it for about an hour, the Coast Guard said. They noted the turtle had growths on it and appeared to be unable to dive.

The crew members, along with scientists, used a cargo net aboard the Lawson to secure the ill turtle, the Coast Guard said. They brought it into the stern notch of the ship and then made it to shore for rehabilitation and recovery.

[9! ] IN THE NEWS…

U.S. delivers ships to coast guard Reuters World News 5/26/17

The U.S. Coast Guard transferred a high-endurance cutter to its Vietnamese counterpart in Honolulu, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said on Friday, in the latest effort to deepen ties with its former foe. The move follows an increase in exchanges between the two countries, Photo credit: US Embassy ahead of a visit to the United States by the Vietnamese prime minister and a recent delivery of six patrol boats to the Vietnamese coast guard. The ship will help the Vietnam Coast Guard carry out maritime law enforcement, and conduct search and rescue and other humanitarian response operations, the embassy said in a statement. "This cutter provides a concrete and significant symbol of the U.S-Vietnam comprehensive partnership," said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Michael J. Haycock, its chief acquisition officer.

The transfer is part of the U.S. Excess Defense Articles program that offers excess military equipment to U.S. partners and allies in support of modernization efforts, the embassy said. Vietnam is the country most openly at odds with China over the busy waterway in the disputed South China Sea since the President Rodrigo Duterte took a softer line with Beijing and is cultivating its ties among powers.

China claims 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam lay claim to parts of the sea, through which about $5 trillion of trade passes each year. The coast guard exchanges between the United States and Vietnam follow the first visit by a Chinese coast guard vessel to the southeast Asian nation last November and a visit by a Vietnamese coast guard vessel to China early in May, its first ever foreign visit.

[10! ] Florence Finch in an undated photograph. She enlisted with the Coast Guard after working for the Philippine resistance and aiding the Americans in World War II. IN THE NEWS… United States Coast Guard Florence Finch, Unsung War Hero Who Took On Japanese

SAM ROBERTS NY Times - 4/28/17

Florence Finch was an atypical hometown hero. For Japanese landed, she chose to be mum, but in her nearly 50 years after World War II, virtually no one heart she had chosen to be an American.” outside of her family knew that she was a highly Mrs. Finch was born Loring May Ebersole on Oct. 11, decorated Coast Guard veteran and a former prisoner 1915, in Santiago, on Luzon Island in the northern of war whose exploits had been buried in time. Philippines. (It is unclear how her first name became “Women don’t tell war stories like men do,” her Florence.) Her father, Charles, had fought in the daughter, Betty Murphy, of Ithaca, N.Y., said recently. Philippines for the Army during the Spanish- And even on those rare occasions when she recalled American War and remained there after it was over. her heroics in the Philippines — supplying fuel to the Her mother was the former Maria Hermosa. Filipino underground, sabotaging supplies destined Betty, as Mrs. Finch was known all her life, graduated for the Japanese occupiers, smuggling food to from high school and was hired as a stenographer at starving American prisoners and surviving torture Army Intelligence headquarters in under Maj. after she was captured — Mrs. Finch did so with the E. C. Engelhart. While working there, she met Charles utmost modesty. E. Smith, a Navy chief electrician’s mate. They “I feel very humble,” she once said, “because my married in August 1941, a few months before the activities in the war effort were trivial compared with Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7. those of the people who gave their lives for their When the war did begin, Mr. Smith reported to his PT country.” boat. He died on Feb. 8, 1942, trying to resupply American and Filipino troops trapped on Corregidor It was perhaps reflective of that modesty that when Island and the Bataan Peninsula. she died on Dec. 8 at 101 in an Ithaca nursing home, Five weeks earlier, Manila had fallen to the Japanese. the news did not travel widely. Newspapers in central Mrs. Finch (then Mrs. Smith) convinced the New York carried a brief obituary, but her death went occupying forces that she was Filipino and, armed unreported virtually everywhere else. with superior penmanship, wangled a job writing gas It was only after the announcement by the Coast rationing vouchers for the now Japanese-run Guard on Thursday that she would be buried with full Philippine Liquid Fuel Distributing Union. military honors on Saturday at Pleasant Grove Unbeknown to her employer, however, she was Cemetery in Cayuga Heights, N.Y., that word of her actually collaborating with the Philippine resistance death spread nationwide. movement. Her job enabled her to divert precious fuel supplies to the underground and help sabotage shipments to the Japanese. After she learned of her When the Japanese occupied the Philippines from husband’s death, her efforts became even more 1942 to 1945, Mrs. Finch posed as a Filipino, but she vigorous. (She was honored by the Philippine became a United States citizen after the war. “Because government in 2011.) she was over 18, she could have chosen to be American or Filipino,” Ms. Murphy said. “When the Meanwhile, Major Englehart (he became a ) managed to get word to her that he had been

[11! ] captured and that he and fellow war prisoners were Ms. Murphy decided to alert the news media about the being maltreated. She helped smuggle food, medicine, building dedication, noting that her mother would be in soap and clothing to them in a prison until she was attendance. caught. “It was the first anyone knew,” Ms. Murphy said. “I Confined to a two-by-four-foot cell, she was figured it was time. And when she came home and interrogated and then tortured, enduring repeated people met her at the bus station, she was shocks from electrical clamps on her fingers. She never flabbergasted.” talked. She was tried and sentenced to three years’ hard In 2015, the Coast Guard’s official blog said of Mrs. labor at the Women’s Correctional Institution in Finch, “Of the thousands of women who have served Mandaluyong, just outside Manila. with honor in the United States Coast Guard, one When she was finally freed by American troops on Feb. stands out for her bravery and devotion to duty.” 10, 1945, she weighed 80 pounds. Her heroism endured without medals, plaques or flags. Rather than remain in her native country, she moved to “It had not defined her,” Ms. Murphy said, “but it Buffalo, where her father’s sister lived. She joined the defined how she lived her life.” Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, or the SPARs (a contraction of the Coast Guard motto “Semper Paratus” — Always Ready). She enlisted, she said, to avenge her husband. When her superiors learned of her wartime exploits, she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon; the Coast Guard described her as the first woman to receive the decoration. The Medal of Freedom was bestowed for meritorious service.

After the war ended, she was discharged as a second class in 1946 and enrolled in secretarial school in New York City, where she met and married an Army veteran, Robert Finch. As Mrs. Finch was rearing her children and working as a secretary at Cornell University, her neighbors never suspected that they were in the presence of a war hero. In the early 1990s, though, she was rediscovered by the military after she completed a government questionnaire that she had received in conjunction with plans to erect the Women in Military Service for Mrs. Finch, shown in a photograph taken last year, was a America Memorial in Washington. The Coast Guard highly decorated Coast Guard veteran, but few people named a building on Sand Island in Hawaii in her knew about her World War II heroism. honor in 1995. United States Coast Guard

[12! ] BOATING SAFETY CLASSES

New Jersey state law requires all boat operators to complete the Boating Safety Course. The boating safety course is a mandatory course for all auxiliary members. Classes are held at Price Hall, Cold Spring Presbyterian Church, Seashore and Academy Roads, Lower Twp NJ., the cost is $45.00 per student for the 8 hour class. There is no fee for auxiliary members. The U. S. Coast Auxiliary, Flotilla 86 in Lower Township will be conducting classes at Price Hall on the following dates: 2017 Boating Safety Course Dates - classes begin at 8:30 April 22 May 13 June 10 July 22 August 12 SUNSET PARADES

All military and civilian members, families and friends of the Coast Guard are invited to attend these traditional military events. Sunset parades are colorful, inspiring military ceremonies featuring the Recruit Precision Drill Team, marching troops and cannon fire. They take place at sunset on the Training Center’s Parade Grounds, are open to the general public, and there is no admission charge. Children are welcome to attend, but should be accompanied by and adult. The Sunset-Parade schedule for 2017 is …

Date Guests Seated By Start Time Sunset Honoring

May 28 1930 1946 2016 CG Enlisted Memorial Day Memorial (Sunday)

July 2nd 1940 1959 2029 CG Family Independence Day Assistance Fund (Sunday)

August 4th 1920 1938 2008 CG Foundation Coast Guard Day (Friday)

September 3rd 1845 1858 1928 Cape May County CG Auxiliary

[13! ] For those of you that are waiting for your I.D. cards you may gain access to the base, (and the Lucky Bag) by presenting your "Acceptance Letter" which you received from District, it has your employee I.D. number which you can present to the Gate Guard. Also be prepared to show photo I.D.

All members are encouraged to submit info, photos and articles for publication in the Flotilla Newsletter. Share your auxiliary experiences! email Pat King at: [email protected]

Don’t Forget to Track and Submit your hours! ONLINE - Coast Guard Auxiliary Form ANSC7029

Flotilla 86 Bridge and Staff Officers for 2017 2017 MEETING SCHEDULE

FC Flotilla Commander -Lewis L. Hahn [email protected] Meetings are generally held the VFC Flotilla Vice Commander -Milton Goodman [email protected] 4TH Wednesday of each month at FSO NS Navigation Services -Stephen D. Ackerman [email protected] Price Hall in Cold Spring at 1930 IPFC Immediate Past FC – James E. Hans [email protected] hour FSO CM Communications – Lewis L. Hahn [email protected] FSO CS Communication Services – Stephen D. Ackerman [email protected] January 25 FSO FN Finance – Nick Holland [email protected] February 22 FSO HR Human Relations –Chris L. McKenna [email protected] March 22 FSO IS Information Systems – Lewis L. Hahn [email protected] FSO MA Materials – Shirley Ackerman [email protected] April 26 @1900 hour FSO MS Marine Safety – Gary R. Walz [email protected] May 24 - at USCG base FSO MT Member Training – Joseph M. Grottola Jr. [email protected] June 28 FSO OP Operations – James M. McCarty [email protected] July 26 - at NASW museum FSO PA Public Affairs – Vacancy August 23 FSO PB Publications – Patricia Hartnett-King [email protected] FSO PE Public Education – James E. Hans [email protected] September 27 FSO PV Marine Dealer Visitor – James E. Hans [email protected] October 25 FSO SR Secretary/ Records – Brenda Hollway [email protected] November 15 (3rd Wednesday) VE Vessel Examinations – Stephen D. Ackerman [email protected] December 6 (Change of Watch)

SINCE 1939, THE MEN AND U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary WOMAN OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD 5th Northern Region - Division 8 AUXILIARY HAVE VOLUNTEERED MILLIONS OF Flotilla 86, Lower Township, NJ HOURS IN SUPPORT OF THE Serving Southeastern New Jersey COAST GUARD AND THE RECREATIONAL BOATING PUBLIC. Like us on facebook WE ARE THE UNIFORMED website: http://a0530806.uscgaux.info CIVILIAN VOLUNTEER ARM OF THE COAST GUARD

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