Michael Reidy, Flotilla Commander for Flotilla 07-05, Mamaroneck, New York, provided an account of their patrol assignment aboard Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel What A World, led by Coxswain Ed Petrie, and crew (facility owner) Frank Picone: “Our mission was to proceed to North Cove Marina, in the shadow of the Freedom Tower, and take aboard a Coast Guard public affairs officer and a photographer on assignment from The Wall Street Journal. We were to take them wherever they wanted to go, and their first request was that we go out beyond the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge where the Parade of Ships was assembling.
"Our guests got acquainted with the crew and took some photos of us performing our duties. Once on station, we reviewed a list of the vessels taking part. As we moved into the harbor shadowing the parade, our PA Officer asked us to help set up a shot of the Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Forward with the Statue of Liberty in the background.”
Our Coast Guard PA Officer was PO3 Frank Iannazzo-Simmons and the Wall Street Journal photographer was Agaton Strom.
Photo by Mike Reidy
Photo by Agaton Strom, The Wall Street Journal