When the Parade of Tall Ships, the Sail 250 flotilla, sailed up the Hudson River to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the largest maritime and aerial gathering in American history was be led by the USS Eagle, the United States Coast Guard Cutter and America’s tall ship.
The training ship for the Coast Guard Military Academy at New London, Connecticut, the Eagle is the only active duty sailing vessel in the US military and is powered by diesel and gas engine.
An estimated 80 vessels, approximately 40 tall ships with white sails, about 32 warships and even the USS Nimitz, one of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, will be joined by nearly 200 military aircraft overhead. Also in New York was no fewer than 20,000 sailors, since the nation’s anniversary and the annual Fleet Week coincided this year.
On July 4 around 9:30 a.m., the tall ships from here and around the world traveled from the Verrazano Bridge up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge along 15 miles of waterfront. The Eagle in the lead, followed by the ships in alphabetical order, maintained the speed of the parade, the safe navigating distance between the ships, approximately 200 yards, and the speed of six knots.
Captain Kristopher Ensley, commanding officer of the Eagle, explained the purpose of the sailing vessel as a training ship is to “teach things the old way.” It has worked for the past 80 years,as every U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadet has hopped aboard the cutter, navigated by stars, hoisted sails and learned the ropes of this almost century old ship.
In addition to serving as a training ship, the Eagle serves as representative of the military and the nation in both the local and international community.
She has traveled to harbors throughout the United States and around the world, has participated in numerous Tall Ship races and events, including Op Sail events in 1964, 1976, 1986, 1992, 2000 and 2012.
Originally the German cutter, the Horst Wessel, the ship was built as the German sail training ship in 1936, training German sailors in sail techniques until decommissioned at the start of World War II. She was then given anti-aircraft armament and re-commissioned in 1942. At the end of the war, Horst Wessel was taken by the U.S. as war reparations, won in a drawing of lots with the Soviet and British navies, and requested by the Coast Guard Academy’s Superintendent. On May 15, 1946, she was commissioned by Commander Gordon McGowan into the United States Coast Guard as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, the 7th cutter in government service with that name, dating back to 1792.
The following month, as a Coast Guard crew sailed her from Bremerhaven to Orangeburg, New York, it encountered a hurricane and were assisted by many of the German crew who were still aboard. The German volunteer crew was disembarked at Camp Shanks and Eagle proceeded to her new home port at New London.
At the request of the West German government, Eagle returned to Germany for the first time since 1946 in honor of the 1972 Summer Olympics, visiting the port of Kiel where she had formerly moored on numerous occasions as Horst Wessel. The Eagle returned to Germany another approximate half dozen times since then including in 2011, her 75th anniversary.
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Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
