This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History – January 19

1935- CWO (GUN) and NAP Charles T. Thrun, Coast Guard Aviator Number 3, was killed when his Grumman JF-2 Duck (CGNR V136) crashed at Cape May.  CWO Thrun was the first Coast Guard aviator to die in the line of duty. 

1937- CG units began flood relief operations in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. These operations lasted until 11 March and resulted in the rescue of hundreds of victims and thousands of farm animals.

1946- Staged jointly by the Coast Guard and the Navy, the first public demonstration of LORAN was held at Floyd Bennett Field in New York.

1949-The tanker Gulfstream collided with icebreaker CGC Eastwind. The collision and resulting fire killed 13 of Eastwind's crew, nine of whom were chief petty officers.

1969- The CGC Absecon, while on ocean station duty, was directed to assist the sinking M/V Ocean Sprinter.  The Absecon launched a small boat and rescued all of the merchant vessel's crew.  The five Coast Guardsmen manning the small boat received the Coast Guard Medal for their actions.

1996- The tug Scandia and its barge, the North Cape, ran aground on the shore of Rhode Island, spilling 828,000 gallons of oil.  This was the worst spill in that state's history.  The Coast Guard rescued the entire crew, pumped off 1.5 million gallons of oil and conducted skimming operations.

(Source: USCG Historian’s Office)