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The United States Coast Guard has accepted delivery of the new National Security Cutter Waesche (WMSL-751) from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.
The vessel, which will be homeported in Alameda, California, is named in honor of Russell R. Waesche, Sr., (1886-1946) the longest serving Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, (1936-1945.)
Waesche was originally in the United States Revenue Cutter Service, which became United States Coast Guard in 1915 when the Revenue Service and United States Life Saving Service were merged.
During Waesche's distinguished career he served in both World Wars and commanded numerous vessels, including the USRC Arcata, the patrol boat Bothwell, the 152-foot cutter Snohomish, the destroyer Beale and the destroyer Tucker. During his tenure as Commandant of the Coast Guard
he oversaw the difficult dissolving
and integration of the United States Lighthouse Service into the United States Coast Guard.
Waesche also presided over the greatest expansion of the Coast Guard in its history and made sure the Coast Guard maintained its separate identity while it was under the administration of the U.S. Navy during war time. Waesche died shortly after his retirement and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2010 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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