a little piece of personal USCG history

[sprog]

I want to preface that I am not affiliated with the site I discuss below, nor do I care if people look at it or not. My posting is not meant to be an endorsement of the content.

Anyway, I have some interest in geneological research, and got an email that the Ancestry website is offering a couple of days to browse the 1910 census for free. I looked up my Great-Grandfather, and got a kick out of the entry that I found.

His name was there, and it said his occupation was "Surfman." Place of occupation was listed as "U.S. LSS Station." For the record, I already knew that he had a long career in the LSS, followed by the Coast Guard when the name changed. He had several hundred rescues over his 30+ year career (of varying severity, I imagine) and eventually was a "Keeper" or Captain of a station (Captain in position, not in rank). At home, I have some old photos of him working on the surfboats (which were rowed out through the surf break on the beach), and my favorite is of them using the "breeches buoy" in a drill. Very cool stuff.

Thought I'd share. I figure some of our SAF people might like to look into their own military ancestry. Feel free to share your stories, it's always more interesting when American history is made personal.

 

[flieger83]

Personal histories...I LOVE them!!!

Okay...one from me.

My grandfather planned to attend college and then medical school (his father worked on the railroad and he did NOT want to do that!) BUT...when WWI came along, he walked into a Navy recruiter and said he wanted to "go fight the Kaiser!"

So...off he went to the Atlantic in a "4 piper" destroyer to destroy the evil Hun!!

When the war ended he liked the navy and said "think I'll stay in!" BUT...along came the medical folks..."Seaman...you have FLAT FEET! You are being discharged to the Naval Reserve. You can't serve in the fleet."

So...crushed, he went to college, then to medical school, became a surgeon, internist, etc. All the while he stayed in the Naval Reserve, rising to Chief Petty Officer. However...when the reserves were called up before Pearl Harbor, he was NOT because he had FLAT FEET!

Fast forward...December 1941. Pearl Harbor. WAR!!!

He races down to the Naval recruiter with his files and says "I'm a CPO in the Reserve, and a surgeon, let's get me back in the regular navy!!!" According to my memory of when he told me this (a long time ago), and with my grandmothers' help (years later), the recruiter said something like: "Well Chief...that's all fine, you being a doctor and all, but it says here you have FLAT FEET...you can't serve other than the reserve. Sorry."

At this point, according to my grandmother (my grandfather always denied it) my GF launched into a VERY salty commentary which eventually questioned the marital status of the recruiters parents. And then he stormed out of the office.

And noticed across the street a sign:"I WANT YOU, FOR US ARMY!"

So he walked into the Army recruiters office and said: "I'm a Chief Petty Officer in the Naval Reserve and a surgeon, etc., and I have FLAT FEET and they navy says I can't serve."

The army recruiter looked up at him and said: "Sit down DOCTOR."

In 1958 my grandfather retired from the US Army reserve as a Colonel with 41 years of service (including his time in the USN, USNR).

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83