Congressman Joe Courtney looks to get Coast Guard Museum Project Up and Running
Posted on 21 October 2009 by Jim Dolbow | Comments
Jennifer Grogan of theday.com writes,
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney wants to get the stalled National Coast Guard Museum project going again by creating a public-private partnership to support the endeavor.
Courtney, D-2nd District, discussed the project with Adm. Thad W. Allen, Coast Guard commandant, late last month and requested a letter reaffirming the service’s support for the museum.
Allen did not say in that letter whether he supports such a partnership, but other stakeholders, including Coast Guard Foundation President Anne Brengle, are in favor of the idea.
Brengle said there is “no way this can be just a project built on private philanthropy; it has got to be a public-private partnership.”
Allen called New London the “natural home” for the museum in the letter, dated Oct. 5, since the city has historical ties to the Coast Guard, has a place in national maritime history and is home to the Coast Guard Academy.
Courtney wants to amend the 2004 law that established New London as the home to the National Coast Guard Museum to allow the Coast Guard to help pay for the museum.
I was on Capitol Hill when the law was passed designating New London as the home for the National Coast Guard Museum. Thought it was a bad idea then and same holds true today.
Do you support or oppose moving the National Coast Guard Museum to Washington, D.C.? Inquiring minds want to know. thanks.
CGRDCS
Chief Lamb, I have no hearftburn for any members of the CG Band as currently formated. My grief is with the continued location at the Academy. It is the Coast Guard Band, not the Coast Guard Academy Band. I have had the very great pleasure of serving with musicans at Cape May. During my service career then MUC George King, did wonders with RECRUITS, and I am sure that his counterpart at Alameda did the same. Build the necessay facilities, outside of New London, move the band, and if necessary create a Band Detachment at the Academy for the Academy functions.
The Band belongs to the Entire Coast Guard, not the Academy, with some side trips away from New London
Wow, I got on to read about the CG museum info, but starting to feel the love for the band!
With regards to the band, there are a handful of us who wonder why we are not in D.C. in order to do our mission to it's fullest potential. I can't speak for all of my colleagues in the band, but I would personally like to be in Washington for duties.
One interesting nugget is that over the past few years there has been a quiet discussion of a "Band Detachment" (a small ensemble) being formed in D.C. for higher profile work that would fall under Military District of Washington. Will it happen? Ultimately it all comes down to money. One of the main reasons the band is in New London is because the Academy has the facilities to house us in Leamy Hall. With the smaller "Band Detachment," there is less of a space requirement and ultimately less of a cost of doing business.
In short, should the band have a presence in D.C.? Yes Should the museum be in D.C. (or the surrounding area)? Yes, but I have a feeling some of the reasons for it going to New London are the same as why the band will always be stuck in New London.
uscga2000
DC doesn't need another museum. First off realistically where is it going to be St. Elizabeths...TISCOM...it will wind up like the "National" Aquarium or the DEA Museum, in an office wing or basement. The Coast Guard doesn't have money to create a Navy Memorial equivalent in Washington DC...we can't even fund WHECs and HU-25s. To be a successful museum in DC you have to do it right or not at all and we can't afford it. I'll argue that more students, parents and service members would visit a museum in Baltimore or even New London than a poorly funded and located one in DC.
As for the CG Band...I'm no fan of New London but where else has the music facilities/concert hall. Also having the two largest music programs in the Coast Guard (USCGA Cadet Bands and USCG Band) helps both programs.
One of the core points of building and operating such a museum through an independent, non-profit organization is that it can raise money independently of the CG. I don't believe this project was ever intended to be funded by the Coast Guard.
mrjacksonthomas
Dan, you do remember how they got the land....right?
CGRDCS
Mrjacksonthomas Yes the CG band does play at Arlington at the CG Memorial, but when was the last time that it played in the Ampitheater, with the President at either Veteran's Day or Memorial Day?? This is the BIG show, the one that Veterans watch every year. The other services play on rotation, why has not the CG Band been included? Pure supposition on my part is, because they are not in DC or surrounding area. There are 5 services, and we are part of the five, we should be included, but the Military District of Washington, will only include the 4 bands in the area. If I were at Hdqtrs Public Affairs, I'd be asking questions, probably would not like the answers, but I'd ask the questions. Again the KELO decision will IMHO forever taint anything that goes in that area of New London.
Name
Nothing would be more pointless than the museum in New London. I would never visit it. But, senior officers make the decisions and they all went through New London, so they think the rest of the Coast Guard gives a crap about that place. USCG officials always wonder why we're not viewed on the same level as the other services .... hmmmm ... not even Arlington National Cemetery staff know where the tiny Coast Guard monument is. The band isn't involved in large events like the other services, and they want to stick our national museum in a tiny town in Conn. Sounds like a winner.
Anonymouse
When I attended CGA, it was popular among cadets to refer to New London as the "armpit of New England." While New London is a much nicer place than it used to be, it is NOT a tourist destination. Putting the Coast Guard Museum there would indeed be a mistake, but when you look at the long line of mistakes made by senior CG leadership over the past several decades, it would sadly fit right in.
Having the museum located anywhere other than Washington, DC -- or any location that does not significantly highlight and elevate the service's prestige -- is a huge, grievous mistake. I fully understand and deeply appreciate the Coast Guard's long history with New London, CT. But no one visits the area. And I'm afraid a CG museum in New London would get just as much traffic as the tiny single-room "museum" already at the Academy -- which amounts to, for all intents and purposes, no body other than officer candidates. It has to be in DC to be of any meaningful value to the service, it's history, and it's future. If we want our service to stop being treated by Congress like the fifth wheel of the armed forces, we should do a better job of putting it in the limelight. Tucking away a museum documenting our pride and history in a relatively obscure town of fewer than 26,000 people does little to put that pride and history in public view.
That said, it would be an even more devastating mistake to have no museum at all. So if the only way we can get one is to have it in New London, than so be it. But a fight for DC or some other major location in an obvious public and political limelight should be an immediate priority if this project can get enough legs to stand on again.
MR.PALCO92
i AGREE WITH MR.JACKSONTHOMAS.DC,DC,DC.BUT I THINK THEY COULD PRACTICE OR PLAY IN THE RAIN LIKE THE COLLAGE BANDS do, maybe not practice.lol.I know the USCG is well known for the Atlantic area ,but what about the Pacific area.the USN coming out of me ,I sorry.what do you mean as far as taking a pay cut?i am confused.please help.
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