This Day in Coast Guard History – August 23

1820-The Revenue Cutter Louisiana captured four pirate vessels.

1893-"This was the first instance in the history of the United States Light-House Establishment in which a light-ship has foundered at her moorings," reported the Lighthouse Board, when Lightship No. 37 was lost in rough seas at her station at Five Fathom Bank off the entrance to Delaware Bay.  Four of her six crew were lost in the tragedy.

1979- The keel of the first of the new 270-foot class medium endurance cutters, the CGC Bear, was laid at the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company in Tacoma, Washington.

1993- The CGC Yocona hosted the Russian icebreaker Aisberg for the first ever joint Russian-U.S. search and rescue exercise.  The exercise was based out of Kodiak and involved three aircraft from Air Station Kodiak, two Russian aircraft, the Aisberg, and the cutters Chase and Ironwood.

1994-A new record for people rescued at sea was set on 23 August 1994 when 3,253 Cubans were saved from dangerously overloaded craft during Operation Able Vigil.

2005- Tropical Depression 12 was first identified by the National Hurricane Center forming 175 miles southeast of Nassau.  The storm would become Hurricane Katrina.

(Source: USCG Historian’s Office)