This week we mark an important military and national security historical anniversary, and President Donald Trump released a statement in its honor.
Since I'm on vacation, I missed the anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard’s birthday yesterday (August 4), but it’s never too late to honor our troops. On Aug. 4, 1790, President George Washington signed Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's bill authorizing the construction of 10 cutters, which would be under the auspices of the Treasury Department, to help crack down on smuggling. This is considered the beginning of what would become the United States Coast Guard, which is now under the Department of Homeland Security. This year was the force’s 236th birthday.
Trump described them as “a force of American law enforcement professionals and Coast Guardsmen who stand constant watch over our shores, our waters, and our glorious way of life.”
He lauded them, “From the earliest days of our Republic, Coast Guardsmen have answered every call with the vigilance and grit that define the very best of the American Spirit.” From the days of Hamilton and Washington until now, Trump said, the Coast Guard was “indispensable to the security and prosperity of our Nation, serving as America’s maritime first responders and the living standard-bearers of the Long Blue Line, the oldest unbroken tradition of American valor upon the sea.”
Indeed, Trump noted, “These crews are defending our maritime border against the narco-terrorist cartels and smugglers who traffic in drugs and human beings. Every day, they are bravely turning back the illegal invasion at sea and seizing hundreds of billions of dollars in deadly narcotics before this poison can ever reach American shores. They are the faithful guardians of our ports, harbors, and shipping lanes through which the lifeblood of our economy flows, and they are the first to act when an American citizen is in peril far from shore.”
For Our VIPs: Solzhenitsyn and Why Commies Can't Engineer Morality
The president dramatically stated, “Through gale-force winds and freezing waves, through storms of shrapnel and ash, there is nothing these tenacious warriors will not face in defense of our homeland.”
Since he's Trump, he bragged about “reclaiming the maritime dominance upon which American liberty has always depended.” He mentioned the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which invested billions in the Coast Guard fleet, which will provide 21 new cutters, 40 new search and rescue helicopters, and 17 “state-of-the-art” icebreakers. Recruiting has climbed to the highest in years, and Trump issued Guardsmen a “$2,000 Devotion to Duty payment in recognition of an extraordinary year of service—a fitting expression of the gratitude our Republic owes to those who dedicate their lives to our security.”
Trump promised, “As Commander in Chief, I pledge to the men and women of the Coast Guard that I will fight for them at every turn and that, in this new Golden Age for America, they will sail farther, soar higher, and strike harder than ever before.” He ended:
On this day, we honor the incredible legacy and unique mission of the United States Coast Guard and pay tribute to every Coast Guardsman who has ever served our Nation as well as those who remain “Always Ready” this very hour at home and abroad. Their courage remains the standard by which American resolve is measured, and so long as they guard our waters, they will forever keep safe the freedom, the prosperity, and the security that are the birthright of every American.
God bless all our Guardsmen!
In the 250th year of America’s existence, here at PJ Media, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.
Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its successes. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member