During the War
The Coast Guard
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Of the nearly 5,000 African American Coast Guardsmen that served during the war, half of them received billets at shore stations or as beach patrolmen. The other half went to sea, most of them as officer’s stewards, though they also manned battle stations as gunners, loaders, and ammunition passers.
Steward’s Mate Second Class Miles Davis King carries a 20mm magazine to his gun aboard the USS Tulagi (CVE-72) during the invasion of southern France in August 1944. National Archives, 80-G-417623.
Steward’s Mate Second Class Miles Davis King carries a 20mm magazine to his gun aboard the USS Tulagi (CVE-72) during the invasion of southern France in August 1944. National Archives, 80-G-417623.
Coast Guard Fireman First Class Charles Tyner examines the shrapnel hole in the helmet he wore during the assault on the beaches of Southern France. National Archives, 26-G-2748.
Coast Guard Fireman First Class Charles Tyner examines the shrapnel hole in the helmet he wore during the assault on the beaches of Southern France. National Archives, 26-G-2748.
Coast Guard Steward’s Mate Alex Haley served aboard the cargo ship USS Murzim (AK-95). Courtesy of the United States Coast Guard Historian’s Office.
Coast Guard Steward’s Mate Alex Haley served aboard the cargo ship USS Murzim (AK-95). Courtesy of the United States Coast Guard Historian’s Office. -
An all-black gun grew aboard the Coast Guard cutter Campbell played a pivotal role in sinking the German submarine U-606 in February 1943. The gun captain, Louis C. Etheridge, Jr., received a Bronze Star for his actions, but not until 1952. As the war progressed, pressure increased for new service opportunities for African Americans. By 1943, some harbor tugs and service vessels were manned entirely by African American guardsmen. Also in 1943, the Coast Guard commissioned its first African American officer, Ensign Joseph C. Jenkins.
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Steward’s mates manned battle stations just as other sailors did. Here, five men crew a 20mm anti-aircraft gun on a Coast Guard frigate in the Pacific Theater. National Archives, 26-G-3797. -
Late in 1944, the Coast Guard approved an experiment aboard USS Sea Cloud IX-99, a Navy vessel crewed by guardsmen. At the insistence of the ship’s captain, Lieutenant Carlton Skinner, 48 black enlisted men and two officers were assigned to his vessel as part of a fully integrated crew. The Sea Cloud performed weather patrols in the Atlantic Ocean, where her crew performed all of its assigned duties efficiently. The Sea Cloud’s crew became a case study for the postwar integration of Navy and Coast Guard vessels.
The weather reporting ship USS Sea Cloud (IX-99) was the first Coast Guard vessel manned by an integrated crew. Courtesy of the United States Coast Guard Historian’s Office.
