Eleventh Coast Guard District
U.S. Coast Guard
Multimedia Release
MULTIMEDIA RELEASE: Abandoned Coast Guard relic salvaged from delta
Coast Guard joins media event observing removal of historic former cutter
SACRAMENTO — Its place in history far greater than its final location would suggest, a decaying former Coast Guard cutter was removed from a muddy bank on the Sacramento Delta today.
Scuttled and left to ruin by its civilian owner more than a decade ago, Cutter 83525 was the only Coast Guard vessel to host a Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. The surrender of the Japanese garrison on Aguijan Island took place aboard the 83525 on Sept. 4, 1945, two days after the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri. Largely uninhabited, Aguijan Island lies in the southern portion of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands near Guam.
As part of an ongoing effort to clear abandoned and potentially hazardous commercial vessels from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), along with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, today began removal of the former Cutter 83525 from a slough near Fishermans Cut in Contra Costa County. The Coast Guard observed the initial stages of the work and joined the media event following the removal of the relic.
"We’re glad to be able to witness a piece of Coast Guard history being salvaged today as part of a significant cleanup effort on the delta,” said Lt. Cmdr. Blanca Rosas, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division Chief. We find this discovery exciting and timely—occurring between two military holidays: Veteran’s Day and Pearl Harbor Day.”
“Our disposal site cleanup program plays an important role in keeping California’s people and environment safe, but it is especially rewarding to also conduct a project of such historical significance,” CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to improve the Delta by recovering a ship with a proud past.”
More on the recovery of Cutter 83525:
Informational links on Cutter 83525's historical significance:
Japanese surrender on Aguijan Island
Daily Chronology of Coast Guard History: 4 SEPT
Informational links on CALRECYCLE's Solid Waste Disposal Site Cleanup Program:
CALRecycle leads in cleanup of abandoned boats in Delta
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/LEA/GrantsLoans/SolidWaste/
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| RIO VISTA, Calif. -- Lt. Cmdr. Blanca Rosas, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division Chief, talks to media in front of the salvaged bow of the World War II Coast Guard Cutter 83525 after it was removed from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Cutter 83525 was the only cutter to host a Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. It was later sold for private use and abandoned in the delta. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela J. Boehland. |
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| RIO VISTA, Calif. -- CalRecycle and a hired contractor, Jerico, salvage the remains of the Coast Guard Cutter 83525 from the banks of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Cutter 83525 was the only cutter to host a Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. It was later sold for private use and abandoned in the delta. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela J. Boehland. |
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| RIO VISTA, Calif. -- Lt. Cmdr. Blanca Rosas, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division Chief, talks to media in front of the salvaged bow of the World War II Coast Guard Cutter 83525 after it was removed from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011. Cutter 83525 was the only cutter to host a Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. It was later sold for private use and abandoned in the delta. U.S. Coast Guard video by Seaman David Flores. |
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