It was encouraging to see progress last week in the development of the National Coast Guard Museum in New London, with the $3 million sale of Union Station, which is adjacent to the proposed museum site.

James Coleman Jr., chairman of the museum association, said he bought the station to help facilitate design and construction of the waterfront museum building. He promises to respect its central role as a train station in the downtown.

Coleman's family last year sold for $1 billion its remaining stake in a New Orleans-based international tank terminal company, one with substantial facilities in New York City Harbor and on the lower Mississippi River.

Coleman's interest and generosity in promoting the often heroic work of the Coast Guard should be an inspiration and example for many other big players in marine-related industries.

One which comes immediately to mind is General Dynamics, which should become a leader in the national fundraising campaign for the new museum.

First of all, the corporation, which owns Electric Boat, should feel a commitment to its host Connecticut communities here, since they would reap such enormous benefits from the new museum.

Eastern Connecticut's congressman was successful in helping General Dynamics secure the nation's largest shipbuilding contract ever, for submarine work that will be done in part around the Thames River basin.

Here's a great chance to not only thank a hometown team, but to also salute a service that helps patrol and safeguard so many waterfronts where the corporation does business.

More important, General Dynamics profits handsomely not just from Navy contracts but from contracts with the Coast Guard, too.

General Dynamics was awarded a $176 million contract from the Coast Guard in 2012 for the design and development of a new Coast Guard rescue system, a network of hundreds of command stations and fixed communications towers.

General Dynamics is also one of three bidders for a $10.5 billion, 20-year Coast Guard contract for the development of a new generation of offshore patrol cutters.

The shipbuilder should prepare to join others in honoring the brave men and women of the Coast Guard and make a generous contribution in their honor. The check should be written soon, and it should have a lot of zeroes with a high digit in the front.

General Dynamics is one of the most obvious donors to the Coast Guard for the museum. But there are a lot of big corporations that should want to signal their support and share in the celebration of the work of the service.

Recreation boating interests come to mind. How about a big sponsorship by West Marine, the marine retailer, for instance, or some of the many manufacturers of small boats and small boat equipment.

They should all take this opportunity to thank the service that supports their customers and their industry.

I know the museum association has launched its fundraising campaign and plans to make some announcements soon about new donors.

I hope that inspires not just big new donations from corporations like General Dynamics, but also a homegrown campaign that can show the region's commitment to the project.

I know Connecticut College and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital shouldn't donate directly to another nonprofit. But given how much the college and hospital owe their own host city, where they operate without paying property taxes, there might be ways they could help the city's museum project.

Maybe the development and fundraising staffs of those institutions could provide support for the museum's fundraising. The college just came off a very successful campaign of its own.

Connecticut College, after all, was founded in New London based on generous contributions from the community.

The fortunes of the whaling industry laid the foundation for institutions like the hospital and Lyman Allyn Museum, leveraging big contributions with small.

How about one of those thermometers or gauges on a sign downtown in front of the museum site, to signal how the campaign is going.

All aboard.

This is the opinion of David Collins.

d.collins@theday.com

Twitter: DavidCollinsct