National Coast Guard Museum Association members collecting heroic stories via hashtag
New London — From time to time, members of the National Coast Guard Museum Association Inc. have used the hashtag #mycoastguardstory in their social media posts, thus creating a catalog of posts that tell personal stories.
Now, they're encouraging everyone — including current U.S. Coast Guard men and women, veterans, reservists, auxiliary members and civilians — to take to various social media platforms, include the hashtag and detail the way the Coast Guard has affected their lives.
Those less inclined to use Twitter, Facebook or Instagram can participate, too, by visiting www.coastguardmuseum.org/mycoastguardstory. There, visitors can enter their thoughts into an online form that will give members of the association permission to use the museum's social media accounts to later share the stories.
The campaign, which launched Monday, is intended in part to build excitement for Jan. 29, when the Disney film "The Finest Hours" will hit theaters across the country.
The movie, which is based on a true story, depicts Coast Guard members in 1952 rescuing crews from a pair of oil tankers that a February blizzard destroyed off the coast of Cape Cod.
Another goal of the project, though, is to create "an extensive social media library open to everyone," according to Wes Pulver, executive director of the National Coast Guard Museum and former captain of the Coast Guard barque Eagle.
The hope is that a search for #mycoastguardstory on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram soon will reveal hundreds of stories of heroism and honor from across the country and the world.
"As excitement builds for the release of 'The Finest Hours,' we are gathering stories from young and old, from near and far, to preserve the rich history of our Coast Guard," Pulver said in a news release.
Once built and operating — it's expected to open in 2020 — the National Coast Guard Museum will become the first museum dedicated solely to the Coast Guard. It will sit on waterfront land in downtown New London — a location the U.S. Coast Guard selected and which city officials conveyed in 2014.
Association members are in the process of raising enough money to build the $100 million museum.
l.boyle@theday.com
Twitter: @LindsayABoyle
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