This Day in Coast Guard History - Jan. 15

1836- A General Order from the Secretary of the Treasury prescribed that "Blue cloth be substituted for the uniform dress of the officers of the Revenue Cutter Service, instead of grey. . ." thereby ending a controversy that ad brewed for years regarding the uniforms of the Service.

1947- The first helicopter flight to the base "Little America" in Antarctica took place.  The pilot was LT James A. Cornish, USCG and he carried Chief Photographer's Mate Everett Mashburn as his observer.  They flew from the CGC Northwind.

1966- When winds of 30 to 50 knots hit the southern California coast, surface craft off the 11th Coast Guard District rendered assistance to six grounded vessels, three disabled sailboats, and three capsized vessels. They also responded to seven other distress cases. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter played a prominent role in one of the cases by evacuating the five-man crew of the vessel Trilogy that had gone aground and broken up on Santa Cruz Island.

1974- The first group of women ever enlisted as "regulars" in the U.S. Coast Guard began their 10-weeks of basic training at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May.  Thirty-two women were in the initial group and formed Recruit Company Sierra-89.

1983- An HC-130 from Air Station Barbers Point made the first aerial seizure in Coast Guard history when it ordered the Japanese fishing vessel Daian Maru #68 to sail to Midway Island to await a Coast Guard boarding team.

1993- In response to a massive increase in the number of Haitians fleeing their country by sea, beginning in October,

1991, President-elect William Clinton ordered the commencement of Operation Able Manner, the largest SAR operation ever undertaken by the Coast Guard to this time.  Twenty-nine cutters were initially involved, as were aircraft from 10 air stations as well as five Navy vessels. 

(Source: USCG Historian's Office)