Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
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Navy Memorial Exhibit Highlights the Year of the Coast Guard From now through February 2015, residents and tourists in the Washington, DC area have the opportunity to visit an exhibit at the Navy Memorial dedicated entirely to the U. S. Coast Guard. Located along Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Washington, the Navy Memorial has sought to honor the men and women of the sea services, including the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines, since its dedication in 1987. While previous exhibits in the Navy Memorial's annually featured series have highlighted a particular theme, such as 2013's Year of Military Women exhibit, this year marks the first time a sea service has been featured in its entirety. "The response from members of the Coast Guard has been astounding," said Mark Weber, curator at the Navy Memorial, both in terms of the collaboration that took place in the design of this exhibit, as well as participation and attendance, which has surpassed previous years. "[This exhibit] honors the service of all Coast Guard components including Active, Reserve, and Auxiliary," said retired Master Chief Petty Officer Mark Allen. "Never in the 27-year history of the Navy Memorial has a Coastie been able to walk into the Navy Memorial's Naval Heritage Center and observe that virtually everything in the exhibit hall is Coast Guard. Contributions of Coast Guard reservists appear in the Coast Guard's 11 statutory mission areas. I recommend every Coastie stop by for a free visit when in Washington." Following more than a year and a half of preparation, the Year of the Coast Guard exhibit was unveiled to the public on April 12, 2014. The exhibit is comprised of informational panels highlighting the service's history and present-day missions, as well as artwork and artifacts collected from throughout the Coast Guard's years of existence. Many of the items in this exhibit were pulled from Coast Guard's own archives, as well as, contributions from private collections. "Everyone stepped up to donate. It took a lot of work and a lot of time but we had lots of support," said Lt. Cmdr. Pride Sanders, who served as the liaison officer during the development of this exhibit. The result is a comprehensive set of displays which designers hope will put a face to the missions of the Coast Guard. The exhibit also features a complete collection of badges and awards, including many Coast Guard-specific awards such as the Coast Guard Cross. Memorabilia on display includes a flight jacket worn by Capt. Pete Prindle, who flew over 5000 hours over the course of his Coast Guard career, as well as the desert camouflage uniform donated by former commandant Adm. Robert Papp worn during his time in Bahrain. Donations from private collections also include a hand-carved representation of the officer's cap device presented to Lt. Cmdr. Gail Roose, Jr., a reservist who earned the Bronze Star and a Navy Commendation Medal following his active duty service in Vietnam. This eagle stands on display thanks to Roose's nephew, Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger. One of the more moving displays features a life-ring from the Cutter Blackthorn, which capsized following a collision with a tanker on January 28, 1980, a tragedy in which 23 Coast Guardsmen lost their lives while on duty in Florida. Weber says symbols such as these are intended to remind exhibit goers of the danger which members of the Coast Guard face on a daily basis, not just during wartime. The exhibit also features an In Memoriam that honors Coast Guardsmen lost in the line of duty, both during peacetime and war. Numerous current members of the Coast Guard have already taken the time to visit this year's exhibit and often spot their fellow shipmates in the photos on display. "Seeing them actually connect with the exhibit has been phenomenal to watch," said Carrie Schlupp, who serves as the Navy Memorial's programs assistant and who served as an assistant curator for this exhibit. In addition to her regular tasks, Schlupp maintains the National Registry of Sea Service, more commonly known as the Navy Log, an online database containing more than 638,000 records, searchable by name or duty station. The Navy Log can be found at www.navylog.org. The Navy Memorial operates with no government funding, carrying out its mission solely with the support of corporate gifts and private donations. With this year's Coast Guard theme, many of their annual events have been planned with the intent to continue highlighting this sea service. These events include a wreath-laying to commemorate POW/MIA Day on Friday, September 19. The POW/MIA event will include recognition of the three Coast Guardsmen lost in action during a 1942 WWII mission in Greenland, when their J2F-4 Grumman Duck rescue aircraft crashed after rescuing two Army servicemen. The organizers behind this exhibit hope that reservists feel they are as well represented as any other Coast Guardsman. "This is for all of us," said Sanders. — Story by PA3 Charlotte Fritts, 5th District Public Affairs Detachment Baltimore Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, addresses attendees at the Navy Memorial's Coast Guard Birthday commemoration on August 4. Photo by Jeff Malet Issue 3 • 2014 � RESERVIST 25