United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District Breeze - USCGAUX ...

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18 U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 Breeze NEW YORK HARBOR— This summer marked the 75 th anniversary of the christening of America’s Tall Ship, USCGC Eagle. To mark this historic anniversary, Eagle sailed across the Atlantic and made port calls in Ireland and England before arriving at her birthplace in Hamburg, Germany. On her way back to the United States, she made port calls in Iceland and Nova Scotia before arriving in Boston. Eagle was originally christened Horst Wessel by Adolph Hitler and served as a German Navy training vessel. After the war, it was taken as reparation by the Coast Guard and used as a Coast Guard training vessel for all academy cadets and many Officer Candidate School trainees since. I was fortunate to be invited aboard Eagle by my son, LT Jeff Janaro, Operations Officer and Navigator, for a one week training cruise between New Bedford, Mass., and New York City. Jeff was the Flotilla 34 Coast Guard Academy Introduction Mission candidate in 1999 and attended the academy from 2000 to 2004. To this day, he asks how flotilla 34 is doing. Spending time at sea aboard Eagle was a wonderful experience. Being able to observe ship operations from my unique perspective as the father of the “OPS BOSS” (operational boat outfit and systems support) was extra special. I was invited to attend all navigation briefs, classes and training sessions for cadets, climb the rigging (which I respectfully declined) and generally had no restrictions anywhere on board. As a training vessel, Eagle and her crew reinforce to cadets many of the classroom lessons taught during the academic year at the academy. I was impressed by the rapport between the crew and the fourth class cadets, as these future officers learned lessons of the sea from well qualified enlisted men and women. After a very tough swab summer, the fourth class cadets were very happy to be aboard and to actually begin their nautical education. They all have four very difficult years ahead of them. NEW YORK HARBOR--The author, Jerry Janaro, and his son, LT Jeff Janaro, Operaons Officer Officer, Coast Guard Cuer Eagle, celebrate as the ship enters New York Harbor in August, 2011. Photo by 1st Class Nyxolyno Cangemi, Public Affairs Officer, United States Coast Guard. Next page: Statue of Liberty raises high the torch of promise behind the rigging of the Coast Guard Cuer Eagle. Photo by Jerry Janaro Once I was indoctrinated to life aboard and informed about on board traditions, I got very comfortable in my surroundings. Life in the wardroom, where the officers eat and have meetings, is a very special place on Eagle. The room is filled with museum quality artifacts and pictures of its early life, as well as gifts from the many countries it has visited around the world. Meals were delicious and plentiful, with good conversation led by the Captain, Executive Officer, and Operations Officer. On our fifth day at sea, Eagle sailed within two miles of the Long Island coast and picked up Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She and her entourage of six staff members and six Secret Service detail spent the next two days on board. The Secretary had never before been aboard Eagle and was visibly impressed by the majesty of the vessel and the professionalism of her crew. From the moment that she came aboard, Secretary Napolitano actively engaged in asking questions and talking to officers and crew alike. The Secretary’s senior aide said to me, “The Coast Guard really hit a home run with this.” Continued on page 18
Volume LVIII I Issue 1 Spring 2012 19 Continued from page18 As OPS, Jeff’s responsibilities include all deck activities, so, as Eagle sailed along, the Captain gave him the responsibility of explaining to the Secretary all that was going on operationally as the crew went through their various drills and sailing evolutions. As we finally neared lower New York Harbor, the captain decided that we had just the right tide and wind conditions to allow us to sail up the Hudson River to our anchorage area, 400 yards off the Statue of Liberty. What are the odds of that happening, especially with the Secretary on board Eagle made a beautiful sight as she sailed under the Verrazano Bridge and made her way to her anchorage for the night. The next morning, as we travelled to our berth in Brooklyn, we were accompanied by Coast Guard helos overhead, a multitude of Coast Guard surface vessels, and the biggest New York City fireboat anyone had ever seen pumping thousands of gallons of water into the air in tribute to our wonderful Eagle. It was truly a great end to a trip of a lifetime! Ω Jerry Janaro has the opportunity to meet Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security aboard the Coast Guard Cuer Eagle in New York Harbor. Photo by 1st class Nyxolyno Cangemi, Public Affairs Officer, United States Coast Guard.
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