This Day in Coast Guard History – May 28

1813-Revenue Cutterman John Bearbere died of pneumonia while being held as a Prisoner of War by the British after his cutter, the James Madison, had been captured by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Barbadoes near Savannah, Georgia on 24 November 1812 during the War of 1812.  He was one of five of those captured aboard the cutter who died in captivity.  The James Madison had only recently captured and seized the 300-ton, six-gun British brig Shamrock in July, 1812.

1947-The Coast Guard announced the disestablishment of all U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Details in foreign ports. During World War II, a total of 36 foreign Merchant Marine Details had been activated for the purpose of performing "on-the-spot" services in connection with the preventive aspects of safety of life and property of the US Merchant Marine. These functions reverted to the continental U.S. ports in which there were located U.S. Marine Inspection Offices.  The Merchant Marine Details disestablished were located in the following ports: Antwerp, Belgium; Bremerhaven, Germany; London, England; Cardiff, Wales; Le Havre, France; Marseille, France; Naples, Italy; Piraeus, Greece; Shanghai, China; Manila, Philippine Islands; and Trieste, Venezia Giulia.

1984-The first Marine Safety Information System module was deployed Coast Guard-wide.  The Port Safety Module replaced the Interim MSIS system, first established when the Port and Tanker Safety Act of 1978 was passed, to provide field units with vessel histories.  The replacement module was vital in the day-to-day execution of Port Safety and Marine Violation functions.

(Source: USCG Historian’s Office)