P a ge 26 t o pside V olume 120 , I s s u e 2
Cape May Flotilla Celebrates Ruby Anniversary
By Commodore Joseph Giannattasio , National Branch Assistant , Museums Curator ( A-DIR )
Article also appears in the Q2 2023 edition of Navigator Express
On December 16 , 1943 , a group of residents braved a chilly Thursday evening to gather for a dinner meeting at a local eatery in Cape May , New Jersey . After some friendly socializing and a modest supper , the attendees got down to the important business at hand . Four years earlier the U . S . Coast Guard Auxiliary was created by an Act of Congress to assist the Coast Guard and help promote safety on the water . Four other communities in the southern New Jersey area had already formed Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotillas . By the end of the evening , Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Cape May was officially inducted .
Current Flotilla Commander David Sedlak highlighted the historical events witnessed by the building ' s occupants , “ The new Flotilla , composed of
The commemorative plaque for presentation in the building where the Cape May flotilla was officially inducted into the Coast Guard Auxiliary in December 1943 .
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by COMO Joseph Giannattasio
The original building of Arnold ’ s Café , where the induction of the Cape May flotilla into the Coast Guard Auxiliary was conducted in 1943 .
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by COMO Joseph Giannattasio
27 men from the vicinity , took over tower watch duty as its first assignment on January 5 , 1944 , crewing the tower of Cape May Point Lifeboat Station 24 hours a day . Other duties in those early days included patrols of the Cape May Fish Dock and crewing the area ’ s Coast Guard Communication Station .” According to archived reports , raining then included Signaling , First Aid , and Boat Handling .
On July 20 , 1944 , the Flotilla acquired its first Operational Facility , a two-masted schooner named Apache , which also served as a meeting place for members . On September 1 , 1947 , the Flotilla was assigned a vintage Coast Guard boathouse as their headquarters . Affectionately referred to as ‘ The Shack ’ by members over the years , the history-rich building was acquired in 1890 by the U . S . Lighthouse Establishment , the forerunner of the Coast Guard .
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