Ron J
Active member
[attachment 46330 cowslip.jpg]In searching thru my Dad's letters,and various papers,i've been trying to find information as to when/where he was stationed in the Coast Guard over his close to thirty yr career. I was also checking the history of some of the vessels he was stationed on. One, i know for sure was the A-Class buoy tender he served on.Don't know when,but i believe between 1949-1950,out of Portland Maine. Located alot of info on the web,regarding the Cowslip. Her keel was laid in Duluth, Minnesota,on Sept. 16th,1941. Seven month later,she was commissioned, on Oct.17, 1942. Immediately was sent to Boston,attached to the First District. Dutys were performing maintenance on aids to navigation,and supplying outside stations/vessels from South America,to Labrador. After the war,was sent to Portland Maine,performing various tasks,including ice breaking.After 29 yrs in Portland,she was sold,after decommisioning in 1973. In 1980,she was repurchased by the Coast Guard,,refitted,and recommisioned in 1981. Stationed in New York, a couple of yrs,then compleely overhauled in 84,and sent to Portsmouth Virginia.Again serving search/rescue & icebreaking missions,on the Chesepeake. From there she was sent to Astoria Oregon ! The COWSLIP,oldest commisioned Buoy Tender in the Guard,was tranferred to the Nigerian Navy, in January 2003! While my Father was in the Service,his hobby was scratch building vessels he was stationed on. He built a wooden replica of the COWSLIP. Of course,its still right here! I been looking at it for over 50 years! Its 28 inches long/about 11 inches high. The photo's do not do his work,justice though. In Dads later years,he added decals for her name. He put on,so who am i,to remove his work? RJ [attachment 46332 Dadsships033.jpg][attachment 46333 Dadsships037.jpg][attachment 46334 Dadsships036.jpg][attachment 46335 Dadsships035.jpg][attachment 46336 Dadsships032.jpg]
