USCG Liberty: What Coasties do in their time off besides drink ... LOL

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The '59 Cad has become extremely popular. The bad news is that mean the convertibles and 2 doors are priced out of sight, so the 4 dr was probably all he could get for a reasonable price.  He probably wasn't looking for it, just ran across it for a decent price and thought "Hey, I can fix that up."

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The '59 Cad has become extremely popular. The bad news is that mean the convertibles and 2 doors are priced out of sight, so the 4 dr was probably all he could get for a reasonable price.  He probably wasn't looking for it, just ran across it for a decent price and thought "Hey, I can fix that up."

From the story it sounds like he just happened on the car.  I'm kind of surprised at there being a demand for those big Caddies Stan. Why would anybody want a big tank like that.  Back in high school I dated a girl who drove a 61 Caddy convertable.  They were just a great big gas hog that was hard to park and drive around town.  On the open highway the Caddies, Imperials and Lincolns of that age were outstanding but for a daily commuter driving they were just awful.

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News Release
Date: May 29, 2010
Contact: District 1 Public Affairs
Photos by PO2 Annie R. B. Elis

Coast Guard Cutter Campbell participates in
flag football tournament during Fleet Week 2010





NEW YORK — Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Philip Schar, from the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, is guarded by two teammates from the opposite team while he runs with the ball during a flag football game in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y., as part of Fleet Week Saturday, May 29, 2010.  Hosted nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the City's celebration of the sea services. This annual event also provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness first hand the latest capabilities of today's Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Cadet 3rd Class Geoffrey Pringle above right hikes the football to Chief Petty Officer Jeff Price, both from the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, during a warm-up practice before a flag football tournament with a Navy team in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y., as part of Fleet Week



Navy Fireman Paul Kendrick above left, from the USS Philippine Sea, carries the ball as Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Darryl McDonald, from the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, chases him during a flag football game in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Jeff Price above right, from the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Mounts shake hands after a flag football game in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y., as part of Fleet Week Saturday, May 29, 2010.

News Release

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News Release
Date: June 06, 2010
Contact: District 5 Public Affairs
Photos by PO3 Robert Brazzell
              PO3 Brandyn Hill

Coast Guardsmen participate
in 200-mile continuous marathon


Members of Chris for Warrant above left, a 14-person team led by Special Agent Christopher Huntington, stop to display their medals following the 12th annual Tom's Run at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., June 5, 2010. Each member that finished the 200-mile relay received their respective medal at the end of the run during lunch.  Roger Butturini, the director of Tom's Run since 2008, announces how many medals each team captain of Tom's Run needs for his or her respective team, June 5, 2010. Tom's Run is an annual 200-mile relay race from Cumberland, Md., to Bethesda, Md., in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Tom Brooks who passed away in 2004 due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

BALTIMORE — Military members joined with friends and other runners to complete the 12th annual Tom’s Run, held Friday and Saturday from Cumberland Md., to Bethesda, Md.

Tom’s Run is a 200-mile continuous relay along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal held in memory of Tom Brooks, a retired chief warrant officer in the Coast Guard who passed away in 2004 after contracting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“We’re here because we're celebrating Tom’s philosophy, which is in conjunction with our Coast Guard values,” said Roger Butturini, the race director. “Tom’s philosophy was, ‘Get up -- go do something. Live a healthy lifestyle!’”

The event began 12 years ago after a group of Brooks’ friends decided that they would hold the event in his name as a tribute to his love for fitness and community. Brooks valued fitness and encouraged others throughout his life to pursue a life of fitness rather than sitting on a couch.

“We’re here because we’re celebrating community, teamwork, being able to get up and do something,” said Butturini. “That’s why we’re here, that’s why we’re doing this, because it brings us all together.”

“You get a group of people together, and you come out and run this amazing distance as a team,” said retired Lt. Cmdr. Mike Hershberger. “It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are. It’s just you're out here, and you do it together. It’s hard work, but it’s downright fun.”

“I think this year is the largest it’s ever been, which is really great to see,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Bippert, a former Tom’s Run race director.


Retired Chief Petty Officer James Taylor above left runs along a trail next to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal with his teammate Stephen Sharpe during a 200-mile relay from Cumberland, Md., to Bethesda, Md., during Tom's Run, June 4, 2010.  Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Kevin Koski and Randy Perry above right, both members of a team participating in the 12th annual Tom's Run relay, known as the Curtis Creek Crawlers, race along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

More than 32 teams consisting of 552 people began the relay Friday after midnight. The teams took turns running throughout the night, sleeping in cars and on park benches whenever they could.

“To be able to finish up and know what you have accomplished with the help of your whole team and to be able to look back at all the adventures along the way -- those stories really carry you through to the next year, and we always look forward to this event each and every year,” said Bippert.

Navy Fireman Paul Kendrick above left, from the USS Philippine Sea, carries the ball as Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Darryl McDonald, from the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, chases him during a flag football game in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Jeff Price above right, from the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Mounts shake hands after a flag football game in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y., as part of Fleet Week Saturday, May 29, 2010.

News Release

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News Release
Date: July 02, 2010
Contact: District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard angler
reels in world record



KODIAK, Alaska — Petty Officer 2nd Class Brenton Weller reeled in a world record while at sea Saturday but not the typical halibut or salmon trophy - it’s a starry flounder.

Weller, an aviation maintenance technician on the Coast Guard's HH-65 Dolphin helicopters at Air Station Kodiak, was fishing from a boat during off time with a friend near Pillar Creek off Kodiak Island when he hooked and landed the large starry flounder.

Weller explained the fish is not typically thought of as a sport fish but are commonly found in the waters around Kodiak and can be hooked while anglers are fishing for other ground species or salmon. The starry flounder is a common North Pacific flatfish. It has very notable features including the black and white-to-orange bars on the dorsal and anal fins. The skin is covered with scales modified into tiny star-shaped plates. They can be found as far south as Japan and Korea, ranging through the Aleutian Islands, the coast of Alaska, Canada, and down the West Coast of the U.S. as far south as Southern California.

Weller kept the fish, but didn't believe it was a world record. Spurred on by friends Weller had the flounder weighed on a State of Alaska certified scale at Island Seafoods and checked the current record upon his return.

"This was a whole new thing for me but my neighbor thankfully knew the process," said Weller. "It's pretty serious. We took the fish to a certified scale and the paperwork was witnessed. We also had to have the Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirm the species."

The fish was confirmed as a starry flounder and weighed in at 13 pounds 2 ounces, more than 2 pounds larger than the previous record holder caught in 2007 off the coast of California.

Weller is in the process of submitting the verified paperwork to the International Game Fish Association who keeps the official records. The IGFA tracks records for more than 1,100 species of fish worldwide.

"You can go through all the different species of fish from a marlin to my little starry flounder and next to it will say my name and the current weight," said Weller.

Weller has been in Kodiak for a year and plans to continue fishing. He learned to fish as a child in Michigan near the Great Lakes, growing up just outside Detroit in Southgate. When asked, Weller said he caught the monster on a chrome silver prism Krocodile spoon.

"I never would think that I'd reel in a world record, especially of this species," said Weller. "You hear world records and you're thinking barn door-sized halibut so to bring this in was kind of a shock."

Weller at the suggestion of friends may mount the flounder tail on a plaque as one would a large halibut and will continue to seek those elusive big fish.

News Release

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Photo Release
Date: July 04, 2010
Contact: District 14 Public Affairs

Hawaiian units Coast Guard
canoe team races in Waikiki.



HONOLULU, Hawaii — U.S. Coast Guard members from several units here in 14th Coast Guard District gather for a team photo before their race against the other four branches of the military during the 68th annual Walter Macfarlane Canoe Regatta held in Waikiki, July 4, 2010. The Coast Guard team was sponsored by the Hui Nalu Canoe Club and this marked the first time the Coast Guard had an official paddle team participating in the event. The course was one mile out and back from the beach at Waikiki where paddlers tested their strength and skill, combined with luck and the steersman's ability to catch a wave.

U.S. Coast Guard members, from several units here in 14th Coast Guard District, navigate their canoe during their race against the other four branches of the military at the 68th annual Walter Macfarlane Canoe Regatta held in Waikiki, July 4, 2010. The Coast Guard team was sponsored by the Hui Nalu Canoe Club and this marked the first time the Coast Guard had an official paddle team participating in the annual event. The course was one mile out and back from the beach at Waikiki where paddlers tested their strength and skill, combined with luck and the steersman's ability to catch a wave. U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse

Photo Release

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For the second year in a row, MK2 Merel from CG Station Bodega Bay, took first place in the Pt. Magoo surf contest.  Way to go Matt 

Winners Platform

You gotta go to pic 14 to see Matt, second from left.

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Story Release
Date: December 05, 2010
Contact: District 11 Public Affairs

Always Ready, Set, Spike!



REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — A five-man team of Coast Guardsmen had the rare opportunity to play an exhibition match against two decorated professional volleyball competitors in Redondo Beach, December 4, 2010.

Two crewmembers from Maritime Safety and Security Team Los Angeles-Long Beach, Petty Officer 1st Class Dugan Mcelroy and Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Haldeman and three air crewmen, Lt. Joel Cooper, Petty Officer 3rd Class Aaron Biesel, Petty Officer 2nd Class David Hetticher, from Air Station Los Angeles played in an exhibition match against Olympian Kerri Walsh and her husband Casey Jennings. They wanted to see if they had what it takes to stand in against a Gold Medal winner for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s exhibition volleyball match.


Left above:  Five Coast Guardsmen get their game faces on as Olympian Kerri Walsh warms up. Above right:Five Los Angeles area Coast Guardsmen took on professional beach volleyball players Casey Jennings and Kerri Walsh to benefit cancer research.  (USCG photos by PO2 Matthew Schofield)

Between the two champion athletes, they have a volleyball resume that is a mile long.  Walsh is one of the best female volleyball players of all time.  She has twice received the Association of Volleyball Players Most Valuable Player award, brought home a Gold Medal from the 2004 Athens Summer Games, and has won many titles over her seven-year professional career.   Jennings also has multiple awards to his credit and is one of the top male professional volleyball players, ending 2010 with a Gold Medal at the Swatch FIVB World Tour.

After a warm-up match with the Redondo Beach Police Department team, it was time for Team Coast Guard to take on the professionals.  While the team of Coasties had the advantage of four players on the sand and a fifth as a substitution, the husband and wife tandem won the first match rather quickly.  Walsh and Jennings then proposed a friendly bet to encourage the overmatched Coast Guardsmen a little.   The pros would give them 11 of the 15 points needed to win, but the loser would have to take a dip in the cold Pacific Ocean.  They shook on the deal.

It was a furious battle as the pros evened the score at 14, when Walsh let her fear be known.



“I really don’t want to get in that cold water!”

And with that motivation, Walsh and Jennings spiked their way to a 16-14 victory over Team Coast Guard.  

With smiles on their faces, team members succumbed to the terms of their lost wager and headed to the water’s edge.

“It was exactly what I expected and more,” said Biesel, an Aviation Maintenance Technician.

“Never did I expect to win, but I was glad that I got to take a couple of points from them,” said Lt. Joel Cooper, a pilot with the Royal Australian Navy currently assigned to Air Station Los Angeles.

“Getting a block on Kerri was the highlight of my day,” added Cooper.

The afternoon at the beach served as a welcome break from the stressful day to day life of a Coast Guardsman and provided the crewmembers with a once in a lifetime opportunity … to get sand in their shorts and an impromptu swim in the ocean.

Story Release

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SN Aaron Goh – Gaming for a cause
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Written by: Christopher Lagan


SN Aaron Goh and his fellow Coast Guardsmen hoist a $1,000,000
check to benefit veterans after winning the All-Armed Forces Call
of Duty: Black Ops tournament. (Photo courtesy of Call of Duty Endowment.)

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — When Seaman Aaron Goh woke up the morning of November 4th, he was just one of millions of gamers anticipating the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, the latest installment in Activision’s multi-billion dollar Call of Duty video game franchise. By day’s end, he would be crowned the military’s best Black Ops player and hoist a giant donation check for $1,000,000 to benefit Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the Coast Guard’s name. Goh led a team of Coasties to victory in an all-Armed Forces tournament to raise awareness of the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.).

According to their website, C.O.D.E. assists “those organizations that provide our former service members with job placement, training and educational services in their post military careers.”

Click HERE to read “Meet the military’s best Black Ops player,” in which Activision blogger Dan Amrich interviews SN Goh on gaming, the Coast Guard, and defeating all comers in last month’s charity tournament.

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