P a ge 46 t opside V olume 79 , I s s u e 2
USCG Auxiliary District 5 NR USCG Station Histories Continued
Birth of the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary
The Coast Guard Reserve Act of 23 June 1939 established the U . S . Coast Guard Reserve as a voluntary nonmilitary organization of yacht and motorboat owners . The purpose was to further boating efficiency and safety at sea , and to have a group of boat owners available for assistance in emergency . The Reserve would be administered under the direction of the Commandant of the Coast Guard . Under the act , motorboats assigned to Coast Guard duty were deemed to be a vessel of the United States if it was placed in charge of a commissioned , warrant , or petty officer of the Coast Guard . The services and facilities of the Coast Guard were permitted to be employed in the administration and operation of the Reserve . With war a probability even in 1939 , Coast Guard Headquarters went about recruiting a force of men and boats of potential war value along with the original purposes . The New York Times reported in August 1941 that in nearly every yacht club along the East Coast “ a batch of members had banded together in a Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla .”
The basic operating unit , known as a flotilla , was comprised of a minimum of ten boat owners . Unique uniforms regulations were issued along with , insignia , flags , and burgees designed to keep the members from being confused with the active military . Vessels were equipped to the established standards and members were taking advantage of the training and qualifications offered . As the prospects for U . S . involvement in World War II heightened , officials also saw the need for a military , as well as a non-military reserve . The Coast Guard required a force that could be called to active duty and whose personnel would be subject to military discipline and the articles of war . Thus on 19 February 1941 , Congress amended the 1939 act to create the Coast Guard Reserve as a military reserve , and renamed the 1939 civilian reserve , the Coast Guard Auxiliary , maintaining its volunteer status and purposes . Under the terms of the February legislation , a Coast Guard petty officer would be assigned to every Auxiliary patrol .
From the beginning , the Coast Guard Reserve utilization was determined by the individual District Coast Guard Officer ( DCGO ). As a result , there was no consistent or standardized use of this volunteer force from district to district . Missions and utilization was based on the needs of a specific district . The Shark River and Manasquan Lifeboat Stations were under the control of the 3rd Coast Guard District headquartered in New York City . This District exercised control over the shorelines of Connecticut , Long Island and North Jersey south to Manasquan and all activities associated with the port and harbor of New York .
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