History From the USCG Auxiliary Member Forum Archives
Re: Aux logo in color
Posted by Homer A. Wright on November 11, 1997 at 22:19:15:
Two years ago one of our old-timer members gave us a copy of the logo which was adopted during WWII when we were known as the Corsair Fleet. It was done by Walt Disney and was authorized to be worn as a jacket patch. It is Donald Duck dressed as a pirate, policing the coastal haunts of Blackbeard.
Re: Walt Disney Logo
Posted by Homer A. Wright, FSOHIST32 on December 12, 1997 at 01:42:24:
The jacket patch device was published in black and white in a USCG magazine. It was Donald Duck in a swashbuckling mode with a patch over the eye and cutlass in hand looking down over side of boat. Apparently it was done very early in the war when Admiral King had such a short Navy both coasts were vulnerable to attack. So, a "Corsair Fleet" was organized
Re: Walt Disney Logo
Posted by Martin Hill, 01-01 11SR on December 12, 1997 at 09:50:20:
The Auxiliary was established before WWII. The Corsair Fleet was part of the Temporary Reserves (TRs), who were largely Auxiliarists recruited to donate a minimum of 12 hours a week to military active duty to boost CG manpower. Unlike the Auxiliary, the TRs held rates and ranks, took part in Port Security ops, ship inspections, manned lifeboat station, and staffed the Corsair Fleet, composed of civilian boats converted for anti-submarine picket duty. In the beginning they were manned entirely by TRs. Later, some active duty personnel were assigned to the Corsairs. Adm. King, then CNO, fought the idea when first suggest by the Cruising Club of America in the summer of '41. It wasn't until he had a disaster on his hands along our coasts that he agreed to the picket boats. The Corsair Fleet never sank a U-boat, but did give sighting reports that led to sinkings. Sailboats were particularly effective, since the U-boats couldn't hear their approach on their sound gear. (I'm a journalist by profession and write a lot of CG history.) Interestingly, the CG somewhat resurrected the TR concept when it established the Auxiliary augmentation program (I crew on 41-boats). Maybe I can scan the logo in and post it here. And maybe we can resurrect it for modern use. It's really quite nifty.
Re: Walt Disney Logo
Posted by Derrick Young on December 12, 1997 at 15:17:40:
I have the logo scanned in as a pcx file - black and white only.
Interesting side note. The version adopted by the fleet was black and white. That one was donated by Walt Disney for the fleet for free.
I have thought of putting it on ball caps or making a pennant of it. But you cannot fly that when you fly the Auxiliary ensign.
Re: A mascot?
Posted By: Derrick Young - Petersburg, VA Date: 10/18/2000 09:02
Something that everyone seems to have missed is that historically, we are related to the US Coast Guard Temporary Reserves (WWII times). As part of that effort, the US Coast Guard Corsair Fleet was used in 1938/39 to patrol the east and west coasts - all volunteers - using their own boats - quiet men in quiet boats looking for quiet ships (subs). Anyway - ask your historian - wonderful read.
Back to what I was saying. There was a flag, drawn by Walt Disney, for the fleet - Donald Duck - a copy of this flag is in the Clip Art archives (PA department, look in the clip art link, Division III, 5th SR section, PCX files - in there is a duck.pcx file). Now, the color flag in on display in DC.
Oct 3, 2001
The pcx graphic converted to gif format by Hal Leahy. Gif format given a transparent background by Jerry Turley.
Oct 4, 2001
Email of Derrick Young to Hal Leahy.
Here is the color logo.
Also, here is the official word from the USCG Historian's office - from Mr. Scott Price.
The USCG has always been authorized to utilize the image for its own purposes.
Scott T. Price, Historian
Assistant Branch Chief
Coast Guard Historian's Office, G-IPA-4
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
Washington, DC 20593
Nov 2003
In November 2003 the Wild Bunch began a major effort to revive The Duck for some official use in the USCG Auxiliary. The first was a failed attempt to get a modern version of The Duck adopted for Operation Patriot Readiness (OPR). During the revival other information and background was discovered about The Duck, including other uses within the Coast Guard.
The following description of the WWII Donald Duck Navy Patch is taken from a review of the book Sea Bag of Memories (author William J. Veigele)
Donald Duck Navy, originally a term of disparagement by the sailors of the major warships towards those who crewed the small boats, was seized upon by the men of the patrol craft, sub chasers and minesweepers. They developed a fierce pride in their symbol and considered that the feisty Walt Disney character suited them well. Many of the craft had a ship’s emblem that featured the feathered warrior. A shoulder patch was created. This showed Donald with a depth charge chained to his posterior and a depth charge thrower strapped to his back. It was worn for awhile, until humorless authorities started citing the proud wearers of the patch for being out of uniform.
During the revival, some of the 'powers that be' claimed that the use of a cartoon was 'not modern' (see Desert Storm logo above) and possibly not 'politically correct'. Hal Leahy wrote an email about the use of logos and political correctness. The following is an excerpt from that email.
And if you want a totally politically incorrect symbol there is no better example than that of the Buffalo Soldiers whose most recent battle action is Iraq. The Buffalo Soldiers trace their origins to the 9th and 10th Cavalry, created by Congress in 1866 and sent to the West to fight the Plains Indians Wars. They were all black units. The name Buffalo Soldier began as a name of derision by the western white settlers toward the black soldiers sent to protect them. The name came about because the color of the skin and the "nappy" hair of the soldiers was seen as being the same as the buffalo. The Buffalo Soldiers took the name as a sign of honor and rode it into the annals of history - a history that often slighted or ignored them. During Teddy Roosevelt's famous charge up San Juan Hill with the Rough Riders, it was the Buffalo Soldiers who went with him and guarded his left flank - a feat of bravery for which they only recently began to get recognition. Three members of the Buffalo Soldiers won the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Cuban Campaign of the Spanish-American War. Try to tell the modern Buffalo Soldiers that their sybmol is rooted in racial stereotypes and it has to go.