Last week, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp attended an announcement by the City of New London, Conn., and the National Coast Guard Museum Association to formally unveil the design and location for the proposed National Coast Guard Museum. As the oldest U.S. maritime service, and the only U.S. military service without a national museum, the National Coast Guard Museum will afford the public an opportunity to learn about the rich and noteworthy achievements of the men and women who forged the service’s history of the past 223 years. A video of the event, including the Commandant’s remarks regarding the importance of the National Coast Guard Museum, can be found on the New London Day website.
Mr. James Coleman, Jr., chairman of the National Coast Guard Museum Association Board, unveiled the plans. “All I can say after so many years is Semper Paratus! We are ready and eager to get this job done.” Coleman also evoked the Museum Association’s mission, “respect the past, engage the present and look to the future.”
The Coast Guard has supported efforts to build a National Coast Guard Museum since the 1990s. The New London site designation and proposed design represent a critical first step towards making the museum a reality. In a recent letter expressing gratitude to the National Coast Guard Museum Association for their efforts, the Commandant stated the museum project is “a tribute to those in the Long Blue Line who sacrificed, during war and peace, since the founding of our Republic to protect and defend the United States of America.”
