Coast Guard renews ties with New London
New London — The U.S. Coast Guard secured its close ties with the city on Thursday with a ceremony to mark New London’s re-designation as a Coast Guard City.
Established by Congress in 1998, a Coast Guard City is an honorary five-year designation recognizing a community’s special efforts to celebrate the service and the sacrifice of Coast Guard men and women.
There currently are 28 cities designated by Congress as Coast Guard Cities. New London first received the designation in 2015 — the first and only city in the state to earn such recognition.
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Under a tent at City Pier with the cutter Spencer docked in the background, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl L. Schultz on Thursday talked about the historical beginning of the Coast Guard Academy nearby and the hundreds of Coast Guard officers who have been in New London.
New London donated the land for the present site of the Coast Guard Academy and more recently donated a waterfront parcel to accommodate the construction of the future National Coast Guard Museum, to be built not far from where Thursday’s ceremony was held.
“There’s a lot of goodness when we thicken the ties of collaboration and cooperation between our service with 231 years of history and this great waterfront community here in New London,” Schultz said.
“The New London community puts forth tremendous effort to support our Coast Guard,” he said in prepared remarks. “By embracing Coast Guardsmen and their families, the New London Community fosters morale and contributes to Service excellence.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said they expected to be back in New London for the ribbon-cutting for the museum in the near future.
New London is home to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Coast Guard Station New London, the Coast Guard Research and Development Center and International Ice Patrol. The city recently signed an agreement with the Coast Guard that provides a berth for the iconic Coast Guard barque Eagle at City Pier near the museum site.
New London Mayor Michael Passero credited Rain Daugherty, the city’s former director of development and planning, for work that led to the Coast Guard City designation and also to secure the city as the home for the museum.
“This is the highest honor the United States Coast Guard can bestow upon any city,” Passero said in a statement. “We are proud of our partnerships with the Coast Guard and honored that the city continues to be recognized as a Coast Guard City.”
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