US Coast Guard Auxiliary celebrates 81 years
Apollo Beach Flotilla 75 celebrates 60 years
By Elliott Seda
US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 75
This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII. While much media has been devoted to this, many people do not know that the US Coast Guard Auxiliary played a critical role during WWII. Legislation passed by Congress in 1942 allowed Auxiliarists to enroll as part-time or intermittent members of the Coast Guard Reserve. Fifty thousand Auxiliarists joined the war effort.
Many of their private vessels were used during this time as they were placed into Navy service. The US Navy had not prepared for, nor expected, the horrifying effectiveness of the Nazi U-Boat onslaught. Formerly recreational vessels were outfitted with sonar, depth charges and heavy caliber machine guns. While none of these vessels actually sunk a U-Boat, they were credited with savings hundreds of the survivors of torpedoed merchant ships.
In addition, these Auxiliarists performed such duties as patrolling harbors, factories, bridges and docks, fighting fires, providing emergency and disaster assistance, conducting search and rescue, training and doing anything else they were asked to do. At the end of the war, Auxiliarists returned to their duties performing the four cornerstones of the Auxiliary: Vessel Examination, Education, Operations and Fellowship. Today, these four areas continue to be the pillars of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Fast forward some fifteen years to December 28, 1960, and a group of Florida Auxiliarists organized and established Flotilla 75, which is currently headquartered in Apollo Beach. For 60 years since, Flotilla 75 has provided the Tampa Bay area with the services of the Auxiliary. The commodore of the 7th District of the US Coast Guard, of which Flotilla 75 is a part, Rear Admiral Eric C. Jones, recognized the Flotilla on its 60th anniversary. In a letter to the Flotilla, Admiral Jones stated:
Since its founding in December of 1960, Flotilla 75 and its dedicated members — past and present — have provided exceptional service to the Seventh Coast Guard District and the American public.
I am tremendously grateful and appreciative of the selfless service and thousand of hours put in by the members of your Flotilla in support of Coast Guard missions. You are America’s premier volunteer maritime workforce.
In addition, the national commodore of the U.S. Coast Guard, Larry King, awarded the Flotilla with the National Commodore’s Achievement Award. This Award is in recognition for its “outstanding contribution over 60 years.”
While during the current pandemic many of the duties of the Auxiliary have been put on hold, many Flotilla 75 members have taken the opportunity to advance themselves in training activities. Much of this training involved online and Zoom courses in areas such as leadership and instructional development, officer advancement, team coordination and various medical related topics. Most of the training in the Auxiliary is the same as for those who enter Active Duty. There are some exceptions in that Auxiliarists do not perform duties in the area of law enforcement. However, aside from this area, it is not unusual to have Auxiliarists training with their active duty counterparts. The additional training demonstrates that members of Flotilla 75 will be “Semper Paratus” (Always Ready). This is the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Auxiliary.
For more information on the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, call Flotilla Commander George Wightman, at 414-412-4454 or email at Georgewightman241@gmail.com.
