Coast Guard Cutter Earl Cunningham Commissioned
The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned its newest cutter, Coast Guard Cutter Earl Cunningham (WPC 1159), for official entry into its service fleet during a ceremony held in Kodiak, Monday.
The Earl Cunningham is the 59th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) in the service and the second of three FRCs scheduled to be homeported at Coast Guard Base Kodiak.
The crew of the Cunningham primarily serves in and around the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and North Pacific Ocean. The cutter is designed for missions such as search and rescue; fishery patrols; drug and migrant interdiction; national defense; and ports, waterways, and coastal security.
The namesake for the cutter, Petty Officer 2nd Class Earl Cunningham, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1928 and was appointed as a surfman. On February 8, 1936, Cunningham volunteered to rescue two ice fishermen that were trapped in the water on Lake Michigan. Cunningham was able to reach them on his skiff and pulled them out of the water. However, adverse weather conditions prevented them from returning to shore.
Three days later, one of the fishermen walked 9 miles across the ice onto shore to safety. The other died trying to make it across the ice with him. Cunningham had died and was found on February 12, frozen in place, still manning the oars of the rescue skiff.
For his ultimate sacrifice, Cunningham was awarded the Gold Life Saving Metal posthumously. He was survived by his wife Helen and three sons.
Cunningham had also previously served in the Army and fought in the trenches of France during World War I, leaving the service as a corporal to eventually join the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard has ordered a series of new FRCs to replace the 1980s-era Island-class 110-foot patrol boats. Supported by investments made possible through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the legislation provides nearly $25 billion – the largest single funding commitment in Coast Guard history – including $1 billion dollars for additional FRCs.
