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Water Ways
Ray Pendleton
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Coast Guard is often our only hope
I doubt there are recreational boaters anywhere in the U.S. who have more respect for, or dependency on the Coast Guard, than here in Hawaii.
Considering every time a boater goes offshore, he or she is venturing into waters considerably isolated from any major landmass, it is very comforting to know the "Coasties" are always ready to respond to a cry for help.
This is especially true when, unlike most coastal regions in the U.S., help from any other agency would be very unlikely.
Hawaii is the headquarters for the Coast Guard's District 14 that encompasses nearly 12.2 million square miles of mostly open ocean. And a review of District 14's major accomplishments clearly attests to its value.
In just 2005 alone, there were 129 lives saved, 429 people assisted, and an estimated $2,724,000 in property saved from destruction.
Among the major events the Guard was involved in last year were: the tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia, response to Hurricane Olaf's devastation to islands in American Samoa, response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast, and the start of cooperative international patrol efforts with Korea, Japan and Russia.
District 14 personnel also set a medevac record of 17 cases in the month of March, which included three cases a day in three separate 24-hour periods.
For the Coast Guard's more than 1,600 dedicated men and women serving in District 14, "Semper Paratus" (Always Ready) is more than their motto; it's a lifestyle.
But because no military service can hope to meet all of the needs of its personnel, many private organizations have been established to help make their life a bit brighter.
For those who serve in the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Foundation has become the primary source of non-government funding for numerous projects as well as educational assistance.
In recent years, the foundation has funded the purchase of exercise equipment for Hawaii-based vessels and on-station gyms, and funded the construction of a picnic pavilion in the Guard's Red Hill housing area.
Under its scholarship program, the foundation has made it possible for the dependents of enlisted men and women to complete a college education and has provided numerous grants to active duty personnel for their continuing education.
As you might expect, the foundation receives some financial support from corporate donors, but once each year, it conducts a gala dinner fundraiser in Honolulu.
This year the dinner, "A Tribute to the Coast Guard in Hawaii," will be held on Friday evening in the Tapa Ballroom at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The dinner will include a silent and live auction for a wide range of items like Aloha Airlines tickets to the mainland, or passes for visiting the set of the TV show "Lost."
You can help support the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard who protect you by calling 626-6755 and ordering your tickets today.