The Coast Guard was formed in 1915 by a merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service. As one of the country's five armed services, the Coast Guard has been involved in every U.S. war, from 1790 to the War in Afghanistan. Coast Guard aviation owes its beginnings to Second Lt. Norman B. Hall, Third Lt. Elmer F. Stone, and their commanding officer, Captain B. M. Chiswell. All believed that disabled vessels and derelicts could be located more quickly from an airplane than from a slow moving vessel. Captain Chiswell convinced headquarters on the idea and requested that consideration be given to sending Coast Guard officers to Naval Flight School. The Navy agreed, and on 1 April 1916, Lt. Elmer Stone received orders for flight training. The nation entered World War I on April 6, 1917. An additional eight Coast Guardsmen had obtained their wings by that time and all participated. At Naval Air Station, Ile Tudy, France, 1st Lt. C.E. Sugden, USCG commanding officer, flew anti-submarine patrol in HS-1 aircraft, credited with sinking three enemy submarines, considered one of the most important air stations on the French Coast. In the decades that followed, Coast Guard aviation continued to mature and grow into a significant force within the service. Coast Guard aviators were present in Vietnam, flying crucial search and rescue missions for allied troops, and they have continued to provide invaluable support to every other mission the Coast Guard conducts. Today, the Coast Guard aviation community consists of approximately 800 pilots and an enlisted workforce of approximately 2,500.  Overall the Coast Guard has approximately 42,000 men and women on active duty, 7,900 reservists, 32,000 auxiliarists, and 8,700 full-time civilian employees. In terms of size, the Coast Guard is the world's 12th largest naval force.
Inducted in 2016.
Portrait Location: Near R-44 and B-5 Brougham

Induction Video