Why I Joined US Coast Guard Forces… Vincent Pica, DCAPT-elect, SECLIS-S

Posted on 15 November 2009 by Vincent Pica | Comments

I am one of the 2,000+ “9/11″ babies in the USCG Auxiliary.  In the stunning aftermath of the attacks, specifically in NYC where I live 10 months a year and where we could all smell the smoke of the fires miles away, I called the USCG and said,

“I had 6 of my friends go down with those buildings.  By largely a freak event, I wasn’t down there at the North Cove, under the buildings, aboard the M/V SeaPipSea.  I’m not just writing a check to the Red Cross for this one.  I have to do something with my hands.  Lemmein…”

The young seaman who took my call said, “Mr Pica, we don’t really have something for 47-year olds.  Sorry.”  I said, “Go find someone with grey hair and ask them.  Here is my telephone #.  call me back.”

A couple of days later, he did.  ”Mr Pica, we do have something.  You can be an Auxiliarist.  Here is a web site to check.”

Which I did…  and I have never waivered, no matter how long it took nor how challenging the task, to do whatever was necesssary to be a fully committed member of the USCG Auxiliary and through the organization serve the USCG and the United States of America.

And I am proud and humbled at the same time to be part of USCG Forces and to be responsible to these fine men and women.

http://www.atlanticmaritimeacademy.com/veteransdiv182009.html

Yours for a fair tide,
Vin
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Vincent T. Pica, II
Division Commander, Division-18 (1SR), USCGAux
District Captain-elect, SECLIS-S, D1SR, USCGAux
USCG licensed Master