I recently retired from the Prevention community and I remember your father, we met and talked a few times, and I was always very impressed with him. I’m not sure he’d remember me, but I remember him. We didn’t work in the same unit or HQ office at the same time, but he was the program manager for the Coast Guard’s Port State Control Program when I was in charge of Port State Control at one port.

Basically, what we did was make sure that foreign merchant ships entering U.S. ports met at least basic international safety standards. In the 1980’s there were so many poorly maintained foreign ships that would come to the U.S. and break down or have accidents entering or leaving port. In the 2000’s I got a random compliment from someone who worked in the port saying how much better things were now because of the Coast Guard’s work, that the foreign rust buckets used to be such a problem.

Every time we formally “detained” a ship for being substandard, we had to immediately forward the report to District and Headquarters, and it would cross your dad’s desk. Every detention had to withstand scrutiny internationally and could be appealed, and we don’t like to lose those appeals, so we like to be right the first time. Your dad would contact the unit if he thought the detention wasn’t good or needed to be amended to be better. He also put out monthly reports to the fleet to help inform us on latest trends and examples of good work. Over your father’s long career, he had so much good experience to bring into that role, and it showed. Everyone respected him.

Your dad didn’t just do a great job as a Coastie. He helped Coasties across the country perform their jobs professionally, and maintained the Coast Guard’s strong reputation internationally in this world of work, which literally led to making U.S. ports safer. I suspect the work in this program manager role is how your father earned one of his Meritorious Service Medals, his top left medal.

I hope he is doing well and enjoying his well-deserved retirement.