May 27

1796  Congress passed “An Act relative to Quarantine” and assigned “officers. . .[of the] revenue cutters, to aid in the execution of quarantine, and also in the execution of the health laws of the states.” This Act was repealed with the 1799 Act (1 Stat. L., 619).

1919  The U.S. Navy’s flying boat NC-4, piloted by First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, landed in the Tagus River estuary near Lisbon, Portugal on May 27, 1919, thereby completing the first successful trans-Atlantic flight.  Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword.

1936  Public Law 622 reorganized and changed the name of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection Service to Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (49 Stat. L., 1380).  The Bureau remained under Commerce Department control.

1943  Douglas Munro’s posthumous Medal of Honor was given to Douglas Munro’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Munro of South Cle Elum, Washington, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, May 27, 1943.  The citation read: “Awarded posthumously to DOUGLAS ALBERT MUNRO, SIGNALMAN FIRST CLASS, U.S. COAST GUARD ‘For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty as Office-in-Charge of a group of Higgins boats, engaged in the evacuation of a Battalion of Marines trapped by enemy Japanese forces at Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, on September 27, 1942.  After making preliminary plans for the evacuation of nearly 500 beleaguered Marines, Munro, under constant risk of his life, daringly led five of his small craft toward the shore.   As he closed the beach, he [signaled] the others to land, and then in order to draw the enemy’s fire and protect the heavily loaded boats, he valiantly placed his craft with its two small guns as a shield between the beachhead and the Japanese.   When the perilous task of evacuation was nearly completed, Munro was killed by enemy fire, but his crew, two of whom were wounded, carried on until the last boat had loaded and cleared the beach.  By his outstanding leadership, expert planning, and dauntless devotion to duty, he and his courageous comrades undoubtedly saved the lives of many who otherwise would have perished.  He gallantly gave up his life in defense of his country.'”

1954  The aircraft carrier USS Bennington (CV-20), with about 2,000 persons aboard, suffered an explosion and fire 35 miles south of Brenton Reef Lightship, injuring some 100 persons.  U.S. Coast Guard aircraft from Salem Air Station and Quonset Point proceeded to the scene, assisted in transporting medical personnel to Bennington and provided air cover for all helicopter operations.  One of the Coast Guard’s helicopters made seven landings aboard the aircraft carrier and transported 18 injured to the hospital; another transported 14 injured.

1965  Coast Guard Squadron One was commissioned for service with Operation Market Time in Vietnam.

1996  While on leave, Coast Guardsman Kevin S. DeGroot rescued 12 people who had been thrown into the water when their boat capsized.  For his “extreme and heroic daring” that day, he was awarded the Gold Life-Saving Medal.

Date of Award: January 24, 1997

For extreme and heroic daring on 27 May 1996, when a 17-foot pleasure boat capsized, throwing 12 people into the violently surging waters of Pensacola Bay, Florida.  Petty Officer DeGroot was on leave, sightseeing in downtown Pensacola, when he was alerted to the overturned vessel with people in the water, directly off the seawall.  He immediately ran to the scene and joined others in pulling the victims out of the choppy water.  Alerted to the possibility of three children trapped under the boat, Petty Officer DeGroot jumped into the 6-foot swells, swam to the overturned vessel, and repeatedly dove under the boat as it pounded against the seawall, searching for the missing children.  On his fourth dive Petty Officer DeGroot located a 5-year-old girl, unconscious and tangled in the boat’s lines.  He fought to free her enough to bring her from under the capsized vessel.  Once again treading the rough water at the surface, he struggled to keep her head above the swells while he disentangled her from the lines around her legs.  Petty Officer DeGroot swam with the unconscious girl to rescuers waiting to assist on the seawall.  Climbing hand-over-hand up a lowered set of automotive jumper cables, Petty Officer DeGroot raised the young girl to the point where a hopeful rescue team could pull her to the top of the wall.  A waiting paramedic was able to successfully resuscitate the young victim after she had been underwater for at least 15 minutes.  Although suffering from extreme exhaustion, Petty Officer DeGroot remained in the water to attach a towline to the drifting boat and retrieved a life preserver for another victim struggling to stay afloat until rescued.  Petty Officer DeGroot’s determined efforts, outstanding initiative and fortitude during this rescue resulted in the saving of one life.  His unselfish actions and valiant service, despite imminent personal danger, reflect great credit upon himself and are in keeping with the highest traditions of humanitarian service.

2008  CGC Dallas departed Charleston, South Carolina for a planned 4-1/2 month deployment to conduct maritime safety and security exchanges with countries along the central and west coasts of Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea.  It was an historic voyage that included delivering relief supplies to Georgia after that country was attacked by Russia in “Operation Assured Delivery (she was the second U.S. military ship to deliver relief supplies to Georgia) and a port visit to Sevastopol, Ukraine.