Rum Runners and the Birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard

By an act of congress, on January 28, 1915 the United States Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life Saving Service were merged to create the United States Coast Guard. But the Coast Guard’s status as an independent branch of the military was not secure, even given the Coasties’ distinguished service during the Great War. There was a very real chance the Coast Guard would be merged into the Navy, until the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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Script by THG

#history #thehistoryguy #CoastGuard

[tpobrienjr]

I am very proud of my daughter-in-law, who is an officer in USCG. She is a fine leader and a credit to her service.

[jlloyd]

The joke among us USCG veterans is our motto should be "Simply Forgot Us", a tongue-in-cheek reference to Semper Paratus. The USCG has numerous missions, but receives little recognition for what they do each and every day. I'm proud to have served and I appreciate you taking the time to research and make this video. Bravo Zulu, History Guy!

[radarmike]

As a Canadian Airman. I've worked with Army, Air, Navy, Marines and Coasties. I personally think the Coasties are the hardest working, most universally trained. And honestly down right largest "balls" service I the American arsenal of services.
I use the recent Niagara Falls rescue on Dec 9th 2021. That ballsy rescue swimmer just casually lowering into the river and casually pulling that door open like nothing in that raging water and plucking that lady out of the car.
The Coast Guard innately have a few screws missing to do the work they do. I respect all my neighbour nations 6 services. Just Coasties have a special place for me.

[stanshearer]

It should also be noted that on this day, 28 January in 1980, the Coast Guard ship USCGS Blackthorn sank in Tampa Bay with the loss of 23 lives. My wife knew one of them. The ship was in Tampa for retrofit but was stationed in Galveston, Texas. There is a memorial at the Coast Guard station in Galvestion.

[nofaith]

My grandad was a rum runner. Travelling from central Ohio to Cleveland in three, REO chain drive trucks he and his partners met fishing trawlers coming from Canada, loading the whisky into hidden compartments under the floorboards of their trucks. The trawlers hauled the booze in fishing nets slung beneath their boats so if they were sighted by the Coast Guard they could simply cut the nets loose, let the cases of booze sink into Lake Erie and avoid arrest. My grandad passed away in 1971 but I still miss him.

[Rvideo]

My grandfather was a marine engineer and tells the story about working on a rum runner powered by Liberty aircraft engines. Many of the Coast Guard captains had been bought off by the organized crime syndicates, but they had the misfortune of being chased by one of the ones who was not. His ship was running with the throttles wide open and at a certain point he headed up to the cockpit. The captain asked why he wasn't down in the engine room tending to the engines. He replied that there was nothing more he could do to hold the engines together and that the spark plugs were glowing red. The captain nodded and kept going. They ended up running the boat ashore in a cove where a truck was waiting. The crew hopped off the rum runner, got in the truck and left the boat and cargo where it was.

[joereedmusic]

I joined the Coast Guard in 1974. I served at The Captain of The Port facility on Guam, the Bouy Tenders Gentian and Blackthorn respectively in Galveston, TX and Search and Rescue also in Galveston as a Boat Coxswain. Best 4 years of my life back then, and I fondly remember those I served with aboard the Blackthorn who lost their lives in Tampa Bay, and I have a great deal of respect for the service itself. Thank you for the history lesson.

[johnwriter]

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thank you for this !
(USCG Veteran, helicopter crewman ..Air Station Clearwater, FL, 1978-1982)
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[markbyrum]

Great video. As a former US Coast Guard officer, i knew of the Coast Guard's history and significant growth during the Rum Wars and the Second World War, but was unaware how precariously close the Coast Guard came to bring absorbed into the Navy just before the Rum Wars. Thanks for sharing that history which deserves to be remembered!

[bryantsemenza]

Wow. Thank you from a retired CPO of the US Coast Guard. Excellent segment and well deserved. It’s unfortunate that our many accomplishments are over shadowed by our small size. Our brother and sister branches of the armed services, have always been there for us. That’s what makes us great as well. There is so much forgotten history in the US Coast Guard and thank you for always remembering this Nobel service.

[jamesbyrd]

"Don't all good stories involve pirates", Makes me smile. Thanks for the USCG story. CWO4RET, USCG.

[constitutionalUSA]

Am very proud of my son serving with the CG. Good production, thanks

[grimreaper]

I have known Coasties and they are some of the bravest people i have had the pleasure of knowing 24/7 365 there out there patrolling and rescuing those lost or in danger at sea from the frozen alaska to the heat of the deep south there always out there helping someone.

[kragfearghal]

Thanks THG for a great lesson about our USCG. I had two Uncles that were members each serving over 20 years each. Both saw action in WWII .

[greganderson]

This old Coastie thanks you for your recognition of our service.

[edbooth]

Thanks for the history of my Service. I'm sure that most of the video's viewers were once Coasties, but hopefully some of them, and some non--Coasties as well, learned a few things from it. My Dad and I both served well over 30 years in the Coast Guard and while he was stationed on a couple of those six bitters before they were retired from service, they were long gone before I enlisted.

[Tallness]

Oh almighty algorithm, for which we live to feed, bless this Guy of History, educated he be, with views, subscriptions, and Patreon followers. For he brings the knowledge to us all. Blessed he be.

Fin

[BobSmith-dknw]

One difference to being in the Coast Guard as opposed to the other branches of the military - is that while, unless we are at war, the other branches spend most of their time practicing to do their real job. The Coast Guard is doing it's real job all the time.

The thing with the other branches is that there is a lot of pettiness and make work because they are only practicing to do their real job. Once they are at war - a lot of that is reduced in scale.

Always doing their real job - there's less pettiness in the Coast Guard - though - I would certainly not want to suggest that there wasn't any ...
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[terrybennett]

When I told my WW1 Navy veteran grandfather I was joining the Coast Guard in the late 1970s he laughed! Followed by ‘joining the young man’s canoe club’ amongst other epitaphs. I cherished his ribbing for the remainder of his years.
Starting in boot camp, I was informed that the official birthday was: “August 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton to create the Revenue Marine.
Thanks - The History Guy for this informational update to the history of this prestigious service. Semper Paratus!

[navret]

Happy Birthday, all you Puddle Pirates. And don’t all good stories involve pirates? 👍 🇺🇸
My maternal grandfather was a Coastie in WWII.

I flew several support ops with the Coast Guard in SAR missions. Some of these guys are flat out crazy! I’ve seen the divers jump out of a helo into seas that were just terrifying. To say nothing about the helo drivers flying in those winds. We, in the P-3, we’re getting beat to death. I couldn’t imagine what the helo crew was going through. My hat is off to you guys. You’ve got big brass ones.