Marine One

Marine One, part of Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) Executive Flight Detachment Whiteside, hangs delicately in the Thurmont sky above my backyard.

United States Coast Guard High Endurance Cutter Taney in Baltimore

USCGC Taney (WHEC-37) berthed in Baltimore, Maryland’s Inner Harbor. June 7th 2012 (Bob Geary)

Notable as the last ship floating that fought in the attack on Pearl Harbor, although she was actually moored in nearby Honolulu Harbor not Pearl Harbor itself. She was named for Roger B. Taney (1777–1864), who was at various times: US Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Serving her country for 50 years, the Taney saw action in both theaters of combat in World War II, serving as command ship at the Battle of Okinawa, and as part of fleet escort in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. She also served in the Vietnam War in Operation Market Time. Taney also patrolled the seas working in drug interdiction and fisheries protection and participated in the search for Amelia Earhart.

She was commissioned at Philadelphia on October 24, 1936

The Roger B. Taney departed Philadelphia on December 19, transited the Panama Canal from December 27 to 29, and arrived at her home port, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, on January 18, 1937. She conducted local operations out of Honolulu through the summer of 1937. On June 16, 1937, she transferred a number of her crew for temporary duty to USCGC Itasca. The Itasca was preparing to lend navigational support to Amelia Earhart’s flight around the world.

The  327-foot USCG Cutter Taney can just be seen anchored in the far left in Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii Territory, at 10:40 AM on 22 November 1937. The ship in the foreground is the US Army Transport Ship Republic alongside Pier # 9.
Honolulu power plant is in the right center. The Aloha Tower can be seen directly behind the Republic.

When the attack on Pearl Harbor came on December 7, 1941, Coast Guardsmen from the USCGC Taney were ordered to take up defensive positions around Aloha Tower and protect it from being occupied. The Aloha Tower was painted in camouflage so as to disappear at night.

During the course of World War II, over 400,000 women served in the uniformed military services and 6.5 million held jobs in the war industry.

The message: “Air Raid, Pearl Harbor. This is no drill” came at 07:55 on December 7, as Japanese planes swept overhead in an attempt to cripple the Pacific Fleet. Taney, moored alongside Pier 6, Honolulu harbor, manned her anti-aircraft guns swiftly when word of the surprise attack reached her simultaneously. As no Japanese attacks were directed at Honolulu harbor, the Coast Guard cutter Taney was able to repeatedly engage Japanese planes which over flew the city. When the attack subsided, the Taney immediately commenced anti-submarine patrol duties off Pearl Harbor.

The Taney undergoes a refit and the addition of anti-aircraft armament. The Taney, based at Honolulu, survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and then  searched for enemy submarines in Hawaiian waters immediately after the morning of 7 December 1941. Notice the depth charges on the deck. Taney patrolled the waters off Honolulu for the remainder of 1941 and into 1942, conducting many depth charge attacks on suspected submarines in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Vietnam. She departed U.S. waters in April 1969 and arrived in theater on May 14, 1969 and she served in the area until January 31, 1970. She participated in dozens of naval gunfire support missions, firing more than 3,400 five-inch (127 mm) shells at Viet Cong positions.

“THE HOOKUP — Boatswain’s Mate Second Class Steve Jimmerfield of Prineville, Ore., races from beneath the big Navy helicopter after hooking up the cargo net for return to the supply ship.” [Photo taken from on board the USCGC Taney.] This is an example of “Sling Loading“…AIR ASSUALT!!!

A lesser known fact: The Taney did carry shipboard aircraft, namely the Grumman JF-2 Duck in United States Coast Guard service. The Grumman JF “Duck” was a single-engine amphibious biplane.

The Taney was one of the Treasury-class high endurance cutters part of a group of seven ships launched by the United States Coast Guard between 1936 and 1937. The class were called the “Treasury-class” because they were each named for former Secretaries of the Treasury. These ships were also collectively known as the “327’s” as they were all 327 feet (100 m) in length. The Treasury-class cutters proved to be highly adaptable, dependable, versatile and long-lived warships; most served their country for over 40 years. In the words of naval historian John M. Waters, Jr., they were truly their nation’s “maritime workhorses. The 327’s battled, through the ‘Bloody Winter’ of 1942-43 in the North Atlantic, fighting off German U-boats and rescuing survivors from torpedoed convoy ships. They went on to serve as amphibious task force flagships, as search and rescue (SAR) ships during the Korean War, on weather patrol, and as naval gunfire support ships during the Vietnam War. Most recently, these ships-that-wouldn’t-die have done duty in fisheries patrol and drug interdiction. Built for only $2.5 million each, in terms of cost effectiveness we may never see the likes of these cutters again.”

USCG Cutter Taney 1958.

The Taney was the subject of a recent Ghost Hunters Episode: “Frighternity” Season 8, Episode 7. I’m not allowed to watch the show, because I make fun of it while my wife Candy is busy getting scared.

Under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fate. She was formally decommissioned on December 7, 1986 and turned over to the city of Baltimore, Maryland for use as a museum ship. Over her distinguished career, Taney received three battle stars for World War II service and numerous theater ribbons for service in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. And now you know….and knowing is half the battle!