This award is presented annually to two cutters, one cutter from each Area command. “I think it really captures everything the Coast Guard does as an armed service.” I love history and military science, so I created this website as a place to share my passion to you. Mellon was commissioned 9 January 1968. CGC MELLON is equipped with multiple redundant navigation systems including the Differential Global Positioning System (dGPS). Aircraft were immediately sortied to the scene, including an HH-3 helicopter and a C-130 turbo prop maritime patrol aircraft. During a patrol in February 1974, Mellon played a key role in the rescue of crewmembers that survived an explosion, fire and subsequent sinking of the Italian supertanker GIOVANNA LOLLI-GHETTI. Apr 12, 2020 - This Pin was discovered by Bill Crum. Mellon was launched Feb. 11, 1967, and commissioned Jan. 9, 1968. CGC MELLON retains the distinction of being the only Coast Guard cutter to launch a HARPOON anti-ship missile. Her first crew numbered approximately 150 personnel. saw extensive service during the conflict in Vietnam. CGC MELLON later towed the carrier safely back to Honolulu for repairs. This act was the baseline for all U.S. fisheries conservation and management activities. Demonstrating consummate seamanship, CGC MELLON was able to recover 16 of 33 crewmen who were clinging to logs and debris in the storm-tossed seas. She was twice awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation during the Vietnam War. As always, CGC MELLON stands ready to assist mariners in distress. It incorporates a network of numerous computers including large screen displays and a dedicated satellite network for communications. She was also fitted with a Phalanx Close in Weapon System, or "CIWS." File:US Navy 100506-N-7643B-004 A Royal Brunei Navy boarding team approaches the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mellon (WHEC 717) during a visit, board, search, and seizure exercise aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC USCGC Gallatin (WHEC-721) is a U.S. Coast Guard Hamilton-class high endurance cutter based out of Charleston, South Carolina. The previous High Endurance Cutters were equipped with standard ship’s wheels as helms. She was named after Andrew W. Mellon 49th Secretary of the Treasury from 1921-1932. It set limits on fishing in order to preserve the resource and it tasked the U.S. Coast Guard with enforcement of these limits. The List of United States Coast Guard Cutters is a listing of all cutters to have been commissioned by the United States Coast Guard during the history of that service. During helicopter evolutions, these cameras eliminate "blind spots" on the ship and enable the crew to conduct these operations with an enhanced degree of safety. She was named for Andrew W. Mellon, the 49th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1921-1932 and launched on 11 February 1967 by the wife of John W. Warner, Jr., sponsor and granddaughter of Andrew Mellon. In January 1990, MELLON was first in her class to fire the Harpoon missile. Those in critical condition were transferred to the USCGC BOUTWELL and taken to Sitka, Alaska for treatment. By the mid-1970s, technological advances rendered ocean station duty obsolete. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the joint Navy/USCG board decided there was no military threat to require the installation of anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine weapons on board cutters, and subsequently removed the weapons. Shortly thereafter, the lifeboat’s passengers were recovered and the rescue was over with no deaths or serious injuries and all passengers and crew from the PRINSENDAM accounted for. CGC MELLON arrived around 1830 that night and dispatched a team to provide medical assistance onboard the WILLIAMSBURGH. The remaining crew and passengers from the surrounding lifeboats were transferred to the WILLIAMSBURGH. The crew ceremonially commemorated these crossings by conducting the time-honored naval initiation ritual. They survived an explosion, fire and then sinking of the tanker. Improvements in long range communications and the installation of weather and navigation satellite constellations made it unnecessary for the Coast Guard to station high endurance cutters at sea to perform these missions. The 2748-ton cutter’s crossing range is 10,000 miles at 20 knots. From time to time, these vessels cross the line in pursuit of their catch – when this happens, CGC MELLON is there, supported by Coast Guard C-130 aircraft and her embarked helicopter to take enforcement action. CGC MELLON was also one of the first cutters to employ closed circuit TV cameras to monitor engineering systems and operations on deck. The crew began training at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, HI before Mellon's commissioning. The crowds were also impressed with her maneuverability. The cutter was named after Andrew W. Mellon, the 49th Secretary of the Treasury from 1921-1932. CGC MELLON’s "balloon shelter" was replaced with a telescoping helicopter hangar. The gunnery direction system was replaced with the Mk92 Fire Control System. The SORCERY was 1000 miles from shore on a voyage between Tokyo and San Francisco. USCGC Morgenthau (WHEC-722) Last updated October 18, 2019 This article needs additional citations for verification. Due to global pandemic, USPS delivery may be temporarily delayed. USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance cutter and the lead ship of its class. CGC Mellon was originally homeported in Honolulu, HI. Budget constraints and evolving Coast Guard missions later resulted in the removal of the HARPOON launching system. The Gunnery award was first presented to the CGC SNOHOMISH in 1927 and last presented to the CGC CAMPBELL in 1940. Newspaper accounts reported that she was able to reach a speed of 20 knots in less than 20 seconds and go from full ahead to full astern in less than one minute. The 1000-foot supertanker, WILLIAMSBURGH, also diverted to render assistance. When she arrived in Honolulu, she earned the nickname "Mellon No Ka Oi," or "Mellon best of all." CGC MELLON, and each of her WHEC sister ships, were reconfigured in the 1980s. [2] The rest were taken back to Honolulu on Mellon.[3]. The CIWS, pronounced "see-whizz," is a 6 barreled "gatling gun" system which fires 20mm projectiles at incoming high speed air and surface threats. Peek inside Seattle-based Coast Guard cutter From chasing mutineers in Vietnam to rescues to cocaine busts, the ship has seen it all in 50 years' service 1 of 44 The USCGC Mellon … January 17 1832 Treasury Secretary Louis McLane discontinued the practice of hiring unemployed Navy officers as senior Revenue Cutter Service officers. CGC MELLON is often called upon to assist a disabled vessel or to transport an injured crewmember ashore via helicopter. Much further to the south, CGC MELLON plays a key part in a national strategy known as "STEEL WEB," an effort to deny narcotics smugglers access to the United States via maritime routes. CGC MELLON rendezvoused with SORCERY, evacuated the 11 crewmembers and took the damaged sloop in tow. The task force seized large quantities of war material, preventing it from reaching enemy hands. USCGC YAKUTAT If you're looking for a Coast Guard logbook that isn't in the catalog, please contact archives1reference@nara.gov . The Coast Guard’s rescue coordination center in Juneau, AK, received the message and began to organize a rescue effort. CGC MELLON embarked a para-rescue team from the U.S. Air Force. CGC MELLON was currently near Kodiak, Alaska, when she received the call to divert to assist the 11 crewmembers onboard the SORCERY. Served in this High Endurance Cutter? CGC MELLON rushed to the scene, where Coast Guard aircraft had attempted to drop survival gear to the foundering vessel. Find People you served with from USCGC Mellon (WHEC-717) . She demonstrated the ability to reach speeds greater than 20 knots within two ship lengths from a standing stop. She was built with a welded steel hull and aluminum superstructure. This cover is in good, but not perfect condition. This is approximately the distance from New York to Melbourne, Australia. In 1992, CGC MELLON received the Coast Guard Foundation Admiral John B. Hayes award. Named for Andrew W. Mellon the 49th Secretary of the Treasury from 1921-1932 and launched February 11, 1967 by Mrs. John W. Warner, Jr., sponsor and granddaughter of Andrew Mellon. During her frequent Bering Sea patrols, CGC MELLON often crossed the 180th parallel and entered the Domain of the Golden Dragon. Also, in 1980, CGC MELLON was featured in a Hollywood motion picture, "The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark," which starred Genevieve Bujold. Laid down July 25, 1966 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana. Further south, along the Alaskan peninsula, CGC MELLON enforces regulations promulgated by the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect domestic fish stocks. Mellon was laid down on 25 July 1966 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana. The USCGC Mellon was the first cutter in her class to fire the Harpoon missile. Hope you find something interesting when visiting Military-Wiki.com. The USCGC Mellon is a High Endurance Cutter homeported in Seattle, Washington. Join TWS for Free Today! This included training in international law, defensive tactics, counter narcotic trafficking methods, boarding procedures, and medical training. USCGC HAMILTON (WHEC-715) USCGC DALLAS (WHEC-716) USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717) USCGC CHASE (WHEC-718) USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719) USCGC SHERMAN (WHEC-720) USCGC GALLATIN (WHEC-721) USCGC Mellon in Seattle for SeaFair Fleet Week, Media related to USCGC Mellon (WHEC-717) at Wikimedia Commons, Learn how and when to remove this template message, http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DS19740225.2.16, "The History and Legacy of the United States Coast Guard Cutter BOUTWELL (WHEC 719)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USCGC_Mellon_(WHEC-717)&oldid=983718374, Articles needing additional references from April 2009, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1 × 500KW Solar Model 101506-2001 gas generator, AN/WLR-1H Electronic Support Surveillance Equipment, This page was last edited on 15 October 2020, at 21:01. USCGC Mellon was a High Endurance Cutter homeported in Seattle and served as an asset in completing Coast Guard missions around the world for 52 years. CGC MELLON rendezvoused with the ROSE S. 300 miles NW of Honolulu. USCGC MELLON's keel was laid on July 25, 1966 at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, LA. . Mellon saw extensive service during the conflict in Vietnam. On the following day, the helicopter was again launched, this time to carry the injured sailor to treatment ashore. During these ocean station patrols, Mellon provided a vital link for aircraft traveling between the west coast of the United States and the Hawaiian islands. Mellon was modernized from 1985 to 1989 during the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program. [1] At roughly 1115 hrs the next morning, Mellon reached the area where the vessel Tamerlane (Norway) was rescuing survivors from the now deserted tanker. Mellon was laid down on 25 July 1966 at Avondale Shipyards near New Orleans, Louisiana. During these earlier Alaskan patrols, CGC MELLON was away from homeport for approximately three months and covered approximately 7000 miles while enforcing laws and treaties established to preserve commercial fishing resources. The ship was recently equipped with the AN/SPS-78 digital surface radar system that incorporates a state of the art computerized collision avoidance system. USCGC Mellon (WHEC-717) is a U. S. Coast Guard high endurance cutter based out of Seattle, Washington. Share your knowledge with the community. The diesel engines are Fairbanks-Morse and are larger versions of a 1968 diesel locomotive design. On the next patrol in August 1975, CGC MELLON responded to a distressed vessel RYUKYO MARU in the waters adjacent to St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Island chain in the Bering Sea. Long cruiser liner built in 1973 ( WHEC-717 ) was a United States and Russia performed oceanographic research.. 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