group also enjoyed tours up the
Sandia Peak Tram and dinner at the
top at High Finance, and meals at El
Pinto and Barelas restaurants.
Moore presented an appreciation gift to New Mexico Council
member Damon Runyan, chairman of the council’s USS New
Mexico SSN-779 Committee, at El
Pinto, McKinstry said.
USS New Mexico returned from a
six-month deployment to the
European Command area of responsibility in early September.
Mass Bay Sponsors
James Commissioning
The Massachusetts Bay Council
sponsored the Aug. 8 commissioning of the U.S. Coast Guard’s fifth
Legend-class National Security
Cutter, James, at Coast Guard Base
Boston and a host of activities that
went along with it.
Coast Guard Commandant ADM
Paul F. Zukunft; VADM William D.
Lee, commander, Atlantic Area; Navy
League National President Skip
Witunski; and Charlene James Be-noit, the great-great niece of the ship’s
namesake CAPT Joshua James and
ship’s sponsor, were among the several hundred attendees, according to a
report in the council’s newsletter, The
Bosun’s Pipe. The commissioning
committee was chaired by Council
Board Member Reid Oslin.
James’ commanding officer, CAPT
Andrew J. Tiongson, a native of Somerville, Mass., ordered the ship to
“come to life,” officially appointing it
as an active cutter in the Coast
Guard’s fleet, according to a release
from First Coast Guard District public affairs.
Zukunft was the event’s principal speaker.
“What better namesake for a ship
and crew that will serve our nation
with pride for the next half century
saving lives, stopping smugglers,
maintaining safety and security in
the Arctic and wherever national
objectives may require,” he said.
James was credited with saving
more than 600 people during a
career that began with the Massa-
chusetts Humane Society when he
was 15 years old and ended with his
death at age 75 in 1902 while on
duty with the U.S. Life-Saving
Service, which merged with the
Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to
form the Coast Guard. He served for
many years as a crewman and station
keeper at Coast Guard Station Point
Allerton in Hull, Mass., which is
considered “the home of Coast
Guard search and rescue.”
Among the events the James
Commissioning Committee hosted
for the event were a crew party at the
Point Restaurant in Boston; a recep-
tion for 200 guests at the USS
Constitution Museum; a precommis-
sioning VIP breakfast; and a post-
commission reception for all guests.
All 120 crew members were present-
ed with plank-owner artist prints of
the ship and James challenge coins in
recognition of their assignment to the
cutter. Members of the Massachusetts
Bay Council were invited on the spe-
cial tour of the cutter on Aug. 4.
James will be homeported in
Charleston, S.C., at the Fleet Law
Enforcement Training Center.
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG 58 SEAPOWER / DECEMBER 2015
Crew members of the Virginia-class submarine USS New Mexico gather with fourth
graders at North Star Elementary School during a visit to Albuquerque Oct. 24-26.
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CDR Todd Moore, commanding officer of USS New Mexico, right, presents an appreciation gift to New
Mexico Council member Damon
Runyan, chairman of the council’s
USS New Mexico SSN-779
Committee, during a visit by the
members of the submarine’s crew to
Albuquerque Oct. 24-26.
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The crew of the National Security Cutter James renders a hand salute during the blowing of the ship’s whistles at
the cutter’s commissioning ceremony
Aug. 8 at Coast Guard Base Boston.
The commissioning was sponsored by
the Massachusetts Bay Council.
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