Coast Guard Foundation Hosts 28th Annual Salute to the United States Coast Guard

Non-Profit Organization’s Honors Coast Guard Service’s Best and Raises Funds to Support Foundation Efforts Stonington, Conn. – The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today its 28th Annual Salute event recognizing the United States Coast Guard. Scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York Harbor, the Annual Salute will honor a select group of Coast Guard members with the Coast Guard Foundation Awards for Heroism. The gala will be emceed by Robert J. Flynn, a director of the Coast Guard Foundation and president of Mallory Jones Lynch Flynn & Assoc. Inc., and feature ceremonial music by the United States Coast Guard Band. Speakers will include Commandant Thad Allen who will also present awards, and Atlantic Area Commander, Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp, who will present colors. In addition to celebrating exemplary service, the event will raise funds to support the Foundation’s important projects and programs including the Evergreen Fund college scholarship for children, as well as grants for enlistees that improve the lives and performance of Coast Guard members, their families and United States Coast Guard Academy cadets. “Our Annual Salute event is a proud expression of our gratitude for the bravery and heroism our Coast Guard members demonstrate everyday to keep Americans safe,” said Anne Brengle, president of the Coast Guard Foundation. “We are proud to welcome our partners and the community to join us in honoring our impressive Coast Guard men and women, and to support our important year-round efforts to help enhance service and opportunities for members and their families.” The Coast Guard Foundation Awards for Heroism will honor the heroic efforts demonstrated during the March 23, 2008 Alaska Ranger fishing vessel rescue by LT James K. Terrell, AMT2 Alfred L. Musgrave, MK2 Barry D. Lawson; AST2 Obrien Hollow; AMT2 Robert R. DeBolt and AST3 Abram A. Heller. The rescue of eight Alaska Ranger mariners has been described as the most courageous and successful maritime search and rescue effort in modern history. In the early morning hours of March 23, 2008, the Alaska Ranger, a 192-foot trawler with 47 persons on board, sank in the frigid Bering Sea 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Battling gale force 30-knot winds; rough 12-foot swells, near freezing seas and exposure, the honorees demonstrated incredible strength of character and resolve to successfully rescue eight mariners adrift in the sea without the benefit of lifeboats. While the efforts of all parties involved in the rescue were heroic, the actions of the honorees were truly remarkable. In recognition of successful search and rescue cases (responding to 18 SAR cases and saving 11 lives) conducted during the extremely arduous 2007-2008 ice season, CG Station Saginaw River, represented by BM2 Anthony J. Vavrek and SN Matthew J. Bell, will also be presented with awards. While search and rescue is difficult under normal conditions, the ice rescues executed were compounded by snowstorms, extreme temperatures and ever-changing conditions on the ice. The Coast Guard annual gala will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2008; beginning at 7:00 pm with a cocktail reception followed by a dinner reception beginning at 8:00 pm. Transport to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will be available by ferry, with boarding at 6:30 pm departing from Battery Park. For more information on the Coast Guard Foundation’s 28th Annual Salute to the United States Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Foundation or for interest in supporting its work, please visit the Coast Guard Foundation website www.cgfdn.org. •About The Coast Guard Foundation The Coast Guard Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1969. It was initially created to provide funds for academic, athletic, and morale needs of the Coast Guard Academy and its cadets, which were not covered by federal operational funding. In 1986, the Foundation expanded its charter to support projects that enhance the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families. A Board of 100 Trustees from all parts of the country governs the Foundation. The Trustees elect from their members a 30 person Board of Directors to oversee the management of the Foundation. Located in Stonington, Connecticut, the Foundation employs a staff of ten civilians responsible for meeting the Foundation’s objectives and working closely with the Coast Guard on all issues.