In response to my earlier post about the Seneca and Tampa, It was brought to my attention that the Washington, DC Chapter of the Chief Petty Officers Association has taken up the challenge to refurbish the 85 years old monument on Coast Guard Hill in Arlington National Cemetery. They hope to have the first phase, the upper marble portion, completed for Veterans Day this year, with the second phase completed to coincide with the 85th anniversary of its dedication on May 23, 2013. Total project is approximately  $95,000. 

I don’t think they would mind if I quote their site (http://wdccpoa.org/restoration/), so here goes:

U.S. Coast Guard Memorial Restoration

The Chief Petty Officer’s Association (CPOA) needs your help to restore the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. Members of the CPOA Washington D.C. have conducted basic maintenance on the memorial to keep it clean and presentable.

However, time and the elements have taken their toll on this historic monument dedicated to Coast Guardsmen lost during World War I.  It will need significant structural and cosmetic repairs to return the monument to its former glory, and ensure it remains so well into the 22nd century.

We are prohibited from using Coast Guard money to pay for this restoration. So we need support from the public, shipmates, family and friends to fund this important effort.  Even though the memorial is dedicated to those lost during World War I, the memorial also serves as a reminder to everyone who visits our nation’s most prominent national cemetery of all the sacrifices made by Coast Guardsmen during war and peace. We must raise more than $95,000 dollars to conduct the repairs and provide ongoing maintenance to the structure. We can only do this with your help.

A message from our president.

Dear Shipmates, Coast Guard Family & Friends,
Thank you for visiting RESTORATION 2012, the DC-CPOA’s initiative to raise $95,000 to restore the U.S. Coast Guard  Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Since becoming President of the DC Chapter of the CPOA I have had the distinct privilege and honor to engage in several events on Coast Guard Hill – with my fellow shipmates, my family, and the entire Coast Guard family.

Through our annual Flags Across America events, I’ve had the opportunity to help maintain the monument and participate in honoring our fallen shipmates. For me, each visit serves as a reminder that although many of our shipmates have been lost, there are many more left to carry on the traditions and memories of “Standing the Watch.”

I am honored to work on RESTORATION 2012 and engage all of you to help us rebuild and restore this great monument to our fallen. In the Coast Guard we are known for our team work and heroic acts; I am confident that we will once again pull together to reach this important goal. Every contribution counts and I ask you to send your donation today.

Thank you for your generosity. Semper Paratus!

Jon Ostrowski, BMCS, USCG

President, Washington D.C. Chapter, Chief Petty Officer’s Association

Please send donation checks to:

Washington D.C. Chapter

Chief Petty Officer’s Association

P.O. Box 70105

Washington, DC 20024

Or

The Cutter Jarvis is to be decommissioned on Oct. 2. Anyone know what will happen to her?

Photo: US Coast Guard

gCaptain has a report on a proposed new bridge configuration from shipbuilder Ulstein–very futuristic. I liked the chairs.

We may some day get to the point we don’t actually look outside anymore. We might use enhanced synthetic vision that can provides a close up view of what other vessels are doing, annotated with ID, course, speed and CPA (closest point of approach), along with other information retrievable from a data base.

I’m sure there are better ergonomic options that what we are doing today, but sometimes too many options for presentation can lead to confusion. The Ulstein Vision reminded me of the BMW “iDrive” which has gotten a lot of criticism, apparently because it is too unconventional.

Looking at the huge expanses of glass in the animation, I remembered two of my ships that had survived WWII. Their pilot houses were dark with only relatively small round ports. The 327 had not always been that way. When built, like all cutters built between the wars, she had had large square windows on the bridge, but with the war, ports in the hulls were plated over and the large bridge windows replaced by the much smaller round ports–providing more protection from shrapnel.

Bridge configuration is an area that probably doesn’t get as much attention as it should.

(The Navy does love acronyms)

This is the name of a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) based system that uses a fiber optic local area network to assemble and evaluate information from sensors, and recommend or even initiate actions to defend ships from cruise missile attack. Apparently the Navy intends to extend it in some form to all non-Aegis ship down to the Littoral Combat Ship.

Systems that have been integrated into the system include the AN/SPQ-9B radar, the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Attack System, the NULKA missile decoy system, Mk 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System. If they sound familiar it may be because they are all on the National Security Cutter and may be on the Offshore Patrol cutter as well.

Defense Industry Daily reviews the program here.

Always thought this was an interesting bit of history, and in view of what is happening in the South China Sea now, perhaps instructive. Three “Cod Wars” between 1958 and 1976, it is a David vs Goliath tale of small (but ice strengthened) ships taking on a much larger and stronger force to protect their fishing industry, and ultimately winning what became the internationally recognized Exclusive Economic Zone.

The Icelandic Coast Guard used net cutters and occasionally opened fire. Ships were intentionally rammed. Ultimately Iceland won because they were needed as a base for NATO operation, otherwise it might have turned out very differently.