SAN FRANCISCO - The Coast Guard Cutter Stratton steams by Alcatraz Island during it's arrival into San Francisco, Dec. 19, 2011. The newest National Security Cutter made it's way into the Bay Area toward it's new home of Coast Guard Island in Alameda, Calif. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Barry Bena.

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, welcomes Capt. Charles L. Cashin, Coast Guard Cutter Stratton commanding officer, and the crew of Stratton to their new homeport of Coast Guard Island in Alameda, Dec. 19, 2011. The Stratton arrived to Coast Guard Island and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Coast Guard cutter Stratton moored at Pier 27 in San Francisco to pick up family and friends before heading to their new homeport of Coast Guard Island, Alameda, Dec. 19, 2011. Family and friends also welcomed the cutter at the Coast Guard Island Pier with signs and holiday music. The Stratton is scheduled to be commissioned in 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif.- Petty Officer 1st Class Marika L. Benggio, a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton, and daughter Makaila stand on the flight deck of Stratton patiently waiting to head to their new homeport of Coast Guard Island, Alameda, Dec. 19, 2011. The Stratton arrived to Coast Guard Island and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

For video of the Stratton's arrival into the San Francisco Bay, click HERE.

The Coast Guard Cutter Stratton, named for Dorothy C. Stratton, is the third of eight planned Legend Class cutters following the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf and Waesche.

The 418-foot cutter has a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles and a crew of 110. It's equipped with a 4,000 square-foot flight deck that is outfitted with an automated landing and dual track hangaring system.

Stratton is also equipped with two Short Range Prosecutor small boats that can be deployed and recovered from the stern launch system, increasing the ability to launch and recover boats in heavy seas.

The cutter's sponsor is Michelle Obama, the first First Lady to sponsor a Coast Guard cutter. On July 23, 2010 Michelle Obama christened the cutter in a ceremony at the ship builder's.  The ship will be commissioned at a ceremony on Coast Guard Island in March.

For more information about Dorothy C. Stratton

http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/DStrattonBio.asp

CGC Stratton website:

http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcStratton/

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Katja and Madeline Rothdeutsch, daughters of Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Rothdeutsch, greet Petty Officer Rothdeutsch with open arms and a picture they made for him while he was away.  Petty Officer Rothdeutsch is a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, a 418-foot National Security Cutter. The Bertholf returned to its homeport of Alameda, December 16, 2011, after a two-month patrol to the Eastern Pacific. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, a 418-foot National Security Cutter, returned to its homeport December 16, 2011, after a successful two-month patrol to the Eastern Pacific. Family and friends waited patiently to greet their loved ones aboard the Bertholf, just in time for the Holidays. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Tesia and Everleigh Clark, wife and daughter of Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Edward Clark, patiently wait for his arrival.  Petty Officer Clark is a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, a 418-foot National Security Cutter. The Bertholf returned to its homeport of Alameda, December 16, 2011, after a two-month patrol to the Eastern Pacific. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, a 418-foot National Security Cutter, returns to its homeport December 16, 2011 after a successful two-month patrol to the Eastern Pacific. Family and friends waited patiently to greet their loved ones aboard the Bertholf, just in time for the Holidays. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

For video of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's arrival, click HERE.

Feature story by Chief Petty Officer Sarah B. Foster

Oakland, Calif. — At the Oakland Zoo where Elfie Larkin volunteered as a docent for more than 32 years following her World War II service in the Coast Guard and as an educator in the Bay Area, she encountered a surprise late in the afternoon.

More than 160 people surrounded the sprightly centenarian at the Snow Building to celebrate her 100^th birthday. She was absolutely thrilled at the surprise celebration held in her honor.

“Oh…I’m so amazed there’s so many people here,” she cried. “This is the proudest moment of my life.”

Larkin is remarkably in good health as one of the country’s approximately 53,000 centenarians and as one of the less than 2 million World War II veterans remaining. Yet more endearingly, Larkin enjoys her role as one of the elite group of military trailblazers — the SPARS (Semper Paratus, Always Ready) — the first generation of Coast Guard women to be integrated into the Armed Forces. She signed up in 1943 and was honorably discharged at the end of the war in 1945. When in good company with her fellow SPARs and with her Coast Guard family at military events, she eagerly shares her wonderful memories of when she served, telling them with much love and humor.

“If you visited the Oakland Zoo at least once since 1977, you may have met one of the first and most beloved docents at the zoo, Elfie Larkin,” wrote MaCarthur Metro news writer Larry Laverty in a tribute to Larkin. “And if you followed the advancement of women professionally in our society and especially here in the Bay Area, you might have met the dedicated woman of service to others, a veteran of the United States Coast Guard who served actively during World War II: Elfie Larkin.”

The birthday celebration also coincided with the Pearl Harbor Day survivor event at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, a few miles below her Oakland Hills neighborhood and a few hours before. Her Pearl Harbor connection came more than three years after the attack when she was stationed in Mauna Loa Ridge on the island of Oahu as a radio operator. During her short stint there, she saw remnants of Pearl Harbor’s devastation that made her sad, but stirred her patriotism.

“It was a mess,” recalled Larkin. “I’ve always been patriotic and I love my country; it made me even prouder to serve to help make a difference.”

With her Coast Guard family present, a color guard kicked off the celebration, followed by the showering of gifts by family, friends. From the Coast Guard, Master Chiefs Leilani Cale-Jones, Charles “Rob” Bushey and retired Vice Adm. Jody Brekenridge presented her with a flag flown from the newest cutter Stratton and a crew T-shirt.  

“Thank you for being my friends and for making my life happy, said Larkin after she blew out the single candle on her massive birthday cake. “You are the reason why I have come to be 100 years old…you are the people that matter and mean so much to me.”

Surrounded by the love of those whose lives she touched, the formula to Elfie Larkin’s longevity is no secret. She lived a life “gifting” everyone around her with love and passion for learning as an educator, joyfully teaching about the natural world as a docent for the zoo, and making a difference during war serving in the military.   

Informational link:

Media kit on Elfie Larkin's centenarian celebration

More photos: 

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1473326
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1474020
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1473332

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: 

CalRecycle and Contra Costa County Sheriff Recover Only U.S. Coast Guard Cutter to Host World War II Surrender

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/

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.

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.

VIDEO

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.

***MULTIMEDIA RELEASE***

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 789 present the Colors during the Veteran’s Day ceremony aboard the USS Hornet Museum, Nov. 11, 2011. Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, gave the Veteran’s Day address to an audience full of Veteran’s ranging from World War II to current active duty military members. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Members of The Honeybee Trio sing the American National Anthem and the British National Anthem during the Veteran’s Day ceremony aboard the USS Hornet Museum, Nov. 11, 2011. Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, gave the Veteran’s Day address to an audience full of Veteran’s ranging from World War II to current active duty military members. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, speaks to the audience of Veteran’s aboard the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, during the Hornet’s annual Veteran’s Day ceremony. Brown highlighted the importance of Veteran’s Day and what a Veteran is to him. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, speaks to the audience of Veteran’s aboard the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, during the Hornet’s annual Veteran’s Day ceremony. Brown highlighted the importance of Veteran’s Day and what a Veteran is to him. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Rivera.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Rear Adm. Joseph “Pepe” Castillo, 11th Coast Guard District commander congratulates the crew of the cutter Waesche on their successful patrol and talks about presenting their first "snowflake" cocaine bust decal. Nov. 9, 2011. The Waesche recently returned from their inaugural patrol in Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America where they conducted two cocaine seizures. Cutters display these symbols and awards to mark milestones from successful law enforcement missions.  U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer Levi A. Read

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Capt. Kelly L. Hatfield, cutter Waesche’s commanding officer and Rear Adm. Joseph “Pepe” Castillo, 11th Coast Guard District commander, affix a “snowflake” cocaine bust decal on the cutter's portside bridge wing Nov. 9, 2011. The Waesche recently returned from their inaugural patrol in Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America where they conducted two cocaine seizures. Cutters display these symbols and awards to mark milestones from successful law enforcement missions.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Sarah B. Foster

Informational links to past releases: 

Homeland Security Cutter returns to port after cocaine seizures