Nine years since STORIS Decommissioning

USCGC STORIS, seen on her decommissioning day.

Coast Guard Capt. James McCauley, the last commanding officer of STORIS, left, and Capt. Mark Carmel, commanding officer of Integrated Support Command Kodiak, right,display the sign that commemorates the STORIS' decades of service in Kodiak at the decommissioning ceremony held Feb 8, 2007. (Official U.S. Coast Guard Photo)

Another year has passed without STORIS as the Queen.

While this is an identical post to that of a year ago, it summarizes why this ship was important.

STORIS Vets, I salute you. And the Mighty STORIS is not forgotten. If you have photos of the ship from the decomm day or a favorite image to share, please, feel free to post in memory of STORIS.

All hail the Queen, the Queen is dead.

Some say that raindrops are tears falling from Heaven. When STORIS was decommissioned nine years ago today, there were a lot of tears being shed inside and obviously outside when this image was captured. 

The end of a legendary career and an amazing chapter of U.S. Coast Guard history. There could have been a happy ending with a second volume in retirement, but politics and the ineptitude of the American bureaucracy shattered those hopes.

There was one and only will ever be one STORIS.
  
USCGC STORIS Decommissioning Speech Transcript

Decommissioning CGC STORIS (WMEC 38)

RADM Brooks

8 FEB 2007

Distinguished guests, Officers and Crew CGC STORIS, Officers and Crew CGC ACUSHNET Family and Friends of the Coast Guard,

Alternate Salutation

Representative Ledoux, Mayor Selby Mayor Floyd, Officers and Crew CGC STORIS, Officers and Crew CGC ACUSHNET Family and Friends of the Coast Guard

Good Morning,

On behalf of Vice Admiral Wurster and the men and women of the Pacific Area, including all the members of the Coast Guard Alaska family; whether PacArea, MLC Pacific, or D17, regular and reserve, CG auxiliary, families and friends, Welcome. Today, we celebrate the distinguished service of Coast Guard Cutter STORIS and the crews who served aboard her.

To put today’s tremendous accomplishments into perspective, let me just offer a few statistics of this great ship’s faithful, and unbroken service:

Lives Saved: 250

Vessels Saved: 25

People in Remote Areas Assisted: 100,000

Vessels Boarded: 7,500

Miles traveled: 1.5 million

And the most impressive statistic...

Years of Service: over 64 years, 5 months of commissioned service.

Personally, that last figure is most impressive. I consider myself one of the "old" people in the Coast Guard. But STORIS has served more "commissioned days" in the United States Coast Guard than me and my Chief of Staff – combined. In a world where the average naval vessel is considered "old" at 10-15 years service, STORIS has lived 5 or 6 lifetimes.

As many of us prepared for today’s ceremony, we were flooded with information about the legacy and the legend that is Coast Guard Cutter STORIS. In fact, those doing the most detailed research discovered that the Coast Guard Cutter STORIS historic materials and memorabilia, filed in the Historian’s office at Coast Guard Headquarters, is not contained in a few binders or boxes but, in volumes of document, papers and artifacts. It’s obvious that my brief remarks today will not even scratch the surface of the contributions this "Queen of the Fleet" and her crews have made over their 64 year career. With that humble acknowledgement, I’ll attempt to summarize some important events aboard STORIS. In addition, I’ll provide a couple "sea stories" relayed from some of the more than 3,000 crew members who served aboard her. STORIS, if you don’t know, is a Scandinavian name taken from the Eskimo word meaning "great ice" or "blue ice". Those who have studied ice or served aboard icebreakers know that clear blue ice is made when the purist of water is frozen. Blue ice contains no trapped "impurities" like air, or snow and therefore can be among the toughest ice to break. Therefore, given her namesake, someone might have predicted the destiny of this tough noble legend and STORIS’ long legacy, including the eventual designation as oldest commissioned cutter, or "Queen of the Fleet".

YEAR 1941:

The keel for this one-of-a-kind vessel, an ice patrol tender, was laid in July 1941. The only ship in her class, she resembled the 180-foot sea-going buoy tender class, but was designed to carry cargo as well. Her hull, made of 7/8-inch steel, was especially shaped and design to resist the lateral forces caused when ice is under pressure. Her hull designed reduced the possibilities of getting "beset" in the ice and made her a tough, highly effective ice breaker. Those who shaped her bulkheads and welded her deck were dedicated and hard working Americans living in an uncertain age. History would later recognize them as "the greatest generation". 

The average salary in 1941 was $2, 059 dollars per year. The average car cost $925 dollars and gasoline was 0.19 cents per gallon. Milk was 0.34 cents per gallon and bread (pause) 0.08 cents per loaf. This generation ate dinner together and then gathered in their living rooms to listen to Jack Benny, the most popular show on radio. Although TV was invented, most families didn’t own one. At the cinemas "Citizen Kane", "The Maltese Falcon" and "Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde" were playing. A new up-and-coming movie producer named Walt Disney released "Dumbo". Then came December 7th, 1941, the "day that lives in infamy". The attacks on Pearl Harbor assuredly sharpened the focus of those in the shipyard. Every weld, bolt and detail was assembled with renewed American pride and purpose, undoubtedly contributing to longevity of this great ship. Like many persons living in this era, STORIS’s first-days of military service were in this war-torn world. Plank-owners wore heavy wool uniforms. Families were asked by the government to "make do and mend", as food, clothing material and other items were rationed for the war effort – for "the boys over there". First homeported in Boston, one of STORIS’s earliest missions sent her to Greenland, operating in the very waters from which her name was derived. She conducted important Greenland Patrols, commanding a fleet of 125-foot patrol boats, guarding this strategically important portion of the Arctic Circle against the establishment of German weather stations. Greenland held the world’s only known marketable deposit of cryolite, an important ingredient in the production of aluminum, critical in the World War II American aircraft and shipping industry. STORIS also supported the Army in establishing airdrone facilities for use in ferrying aircraft to the British Islands. STORIS served as a supply ship, kept convoy routes open and conducted a multitude of other duties including search and rescue as well as escort and patrol duties. Critical weather and ice reports from STORIS patrols were relayed to Greenland and U.S. military bases and that, undoubtedly, fed directly into the wartime plans and strategies. STORIS was homeported and served missions on the east coast and Great Lakes until 1948 when she was reassigned to Juneau, Alaska, beginning her 59 year service in Alaska.

1950s

The lean years of the 1940’s gave way to the "free market" fifties as the World War II scientific and mass production advances began to change the way people lived. By early 1950, 8 in 100 homes had televisions, and people would line-up chairs in their living room and invite neighbors to watch TV. 1950’s, also, became the decade of the teenagers, influenced by Elvis Presley and James Dean. "Greasers" followed the strict black leather and denim jean dress code, while the "Preppy" men donned sport coats and collared shirts and women wore circular skirts with large appliques, dubbed "poodle skirts".

Although those at home in this "rock-around-the-clock" generation had many luxuries, the amenities for the crew aboard Coast Guard Cutter STORIS remained relatively unchanged. These clashes in generations, undoubtedly, led to spirited exchanges between crew members of the hardened World War II era and the newly enlisted James Dean and "Greaser" look alikes. Unfazed by these differences, Coast Guard Cutter STORIS and her crew continued her impressive and historic service.

In 1955, STORIS was assigned and participated in the defense early warning system supply operation and hydrographic survey in the Arctic Ocean.

Commander Wood, the Commanding Officer, stated "...it was imperative [that] an ice-protected, relatively shallow-draft vessel was assigned to precede the supply ships into the central arctic waters, which had never been charted or sounded." This mission served to ensure that the route to be traveled by the supply ships was practical and safe. The first charts, initially used by STORIS, were nothing more than outlines of terrain, made from aerial photos. The STORIS’s depth soundings from these missions were quickly reported back and added to the charts for the supply ships the following year. In addition, during the second year, buoys set by the STORIS significantly improved navigational safety for the supply ships.

Commander Wood wanted to make an effort to transit the Northwest Passage in 1955, but the demands of her primary missions precluded it. In 1957, the crew of STORIS got its chance. They departed Seattle with the Coast Guard cutters BRAMBLE and SPAR to establish a Northwest Passage, by all accounts virgin territory. Commander Wood’s and other crewmember accounts of this transit are as riveting as any pioneer’s story, and impossible to recount every detail. One particular event worth mentioning was the challenges the three ships overcame in the Amundsen Strait.

The three captains of the cutters had carefully planned and calculated their route off-shore, to ensure minimum exposure to the potential large heavy ice floes that trapped vessels between open water and the unforgiving rocky shoreline. A sudden illness of one of BRAMBLE's sailors mandated the ships venture closer inland to facilitate the helicopter transport. After the airlift was completed, the ships made best speed away to open water. However, two miles off shore, the vessels became beset – trapped by a heavily wind-rowed ice flow. Like an object on a conveyor belt, the ships drifted at the mercy of the ice floe propelled by the wind. Initially, there was little concern with greater than 2 miles to shore and more than 90 feet of water under the keel. For three days the crews tried relentlessly to free themselves. They used the ship’s boom to sling large cement weights from side to side, and even attempted blasting the ice with TNT. Nothing worked. As the days wore on, Coast Guard Cutter STORIS, which normally draws 15 feet 6 inches, was being slowly squeezed out of the water. And, Commander Wood stated that, "...ice was completely under our ship, and there was very little water, if any under the keel". Another crew member, Radioman Chief Otis Shipp recalled "...all three vessels were popped to the top of the ice, lying on their sides looking like children’s discarded toys. To make matters worse, the ice had wedged Coast Guard Cutter SPAR against the stern of STORIS…and buckled the plates. We were hoping and praying that we would not be pushed up against the barren shoreline." At about 700 yards from shore, the wind shifted, and STORIS eventually dropped back into the water. They quickly took advantage of the small open leads in the ice zigzagging their way to open water and continuing their historic voyage.

STORIS completed her transit of the Northwest Passage and returned home via the Panama Canal becoming the first United States vessel to circumnavigate the continent. Commander Wood concluded a letter to a friend saying, "You see, we’re very proud of the fact that in three short summers we were able to gather - for our [military] forces - more hydrographic information about these waters than had been amassed in the last four hundred years. It’s a good feeling to have had a part of something like that."

1957 ended with the ship changing its homeport for the final time, from Juneau to Kodiak. And, by 1959, STORIS completed her final Defense Early Warning System supply mission. Her primary missions shifted to fisheries law enforcement in the Bering Sea.

1960s:

The 1950s leather jackets and poodle skirts gave way to the 1960s mini-skirts with more conservative individuals emulating the fashions of President and Mrs. Kennedy. The Twist and the Locomotion were the dance craze fueled by American Bandstand. Although 90% of all homes owned television sets, in the earlier years, they were still not very practical aboard ships. Limited broadcast range-coupled with delicate picture tubes made them difficult keep secure and operational aboard a rolling ship that shudders during ice operations.

The 1960s

Nonetheless, the crew kept the mission focused visiting many remote islands and tribal communities providing much needed medical assistance and supplies. The1960’s also brought renewed emphasis on Coast Guard’s Living Marine Resources. Large fleets of Japanese and Soviet vessels moved into harvest the abundant stocks of crab and bottom fish in Alaskan waters. Boarding teams, frequently, visited these vessels to verify their documents, logs, and catches. Although seemingly inconsequential, these vessel boardings and deceptive lighting and fishery surveillance were important to understanding the fishing fleet. Throughout these cat and mouse game, Captain Ratti reported that often, they would track and plot the position of these vessels, and discover them hovering just outside U.S. waters. However, as the 60’s wore on, the foreign fishing fleet became bolder. In 1967, the STORIS crew boarded and seized a Soviet fishing vessel within a mile of the U.S. coast, resulting in a $5,000 dollar fine, the first ever such seizure of a soviet vessel. In 1972, STORIS seized two Soviet vessels, the LAMUT and KOLYVAN. While escorting them to port, the LAMUT kept attempting to escape. Each time, STORIS was there to force them back on course. The chase finally ended when LAMUT was cornered in an ice pack. Thereafter, STORIS was known as the "Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coasts".

1970s:

The 1970’s, an era of Saturday Night Fever disco trends that brought bell-bottom pants, platform shoes and wide lapels on colorful suits into style, also became the backdrop of one of Cutter STORIS' most significant renovations. STORIS was transformed from an auxiliary icebreaker to a medium endurance cutter without diminishing her versatility. The "Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast" continued to perform in every mission area. In 1975, STORIS provided ice-breaking assistance to tugs and barges carrying vital supplies and material to Prudhoe Bay for construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Since the 1977 formal establishment of the fisheries management zone, STORIS’s primary mission has been the surveillance and boarding of foreign fishing vessels to ensure compliance with U.S. regulations.

1980s & 1990s:

In the 80’s disco gave way to the country music boom fueled by the sometimes western fashion styles of President and Nancy Reagan. STORIS legendary service and diversity in missions was once again demonstrated during the 1986 EXXON VALDEZ oil spill. As the Command and Control vessel for the operation, STORIS and her crew worked tirelessly to protect the pristine Alaskan wilderness from further devastation. She was awarded the Operations Service medal for this heroic and important mission.

With the decommissioning of Coast Guard Cutter FIR, the "Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast" received a new designation, "Queen of the Fleet." Since her coronation, on October 1st 1991, STORIS has continued her impressive, diverse service. Anyone who has ever seen the footage of STORIS responding to the grounded F/V ALASKA MONARCH on St. Paul Island, 14 March 1990, will never forget it. In a case typical for Alaska, STORIS struggled to pass a line to the disabled fishing vessel in seas of mountainous ice. From rescuing fisherman in peril, to protecting critical living marine resources, to her legacy mission of ice breaking, STORIS’s service to this nation has been unparalleled. "Wrap-up".

So, today, we bid farewell to a beloved cutter that has served her nation with legendary distinction. This "Queen" has literally carved a path, blazed the trail and marked the waterways that ensured the safe transit of every ship that followed. It’s obvious; this tough old ship has the tenacity and determination - - the very heart and soul - - of those who built her, those members of the greatest generation. Throughout the years, the crew members at her helm have demonstrated extraordinary courage and fortitude saving lives, protecting living marine resources and protecting shipping from the hazards of the icy Arctic. For you see, while STORIS is this hearty ship, the real STORIS is every Coast Guard crewmember, every crew, that ever sweated—and toiled—and laughed— and dreamed—aboard her. These are the lives. These are the Coast Guard heroes, who breathed life—and passion—and purpose—into STORIS.

ACUSHNET

Today a Queen embraces eternity, confident in her legacy through the long echoes of history. Today the scepter passes. Today a new Queen is crowned. The Coast Guard Cutter ACUSHNET has served in the Navy and Coast Guard since 1944. Originally commissioned as the Diver Class Fleet Rescue and Salvage vessel, USS SHACKLE (ARS 9) on February 5th, 1944, ACUSHNET conducted salvage operations in Pearl Harbor, Midway Island, Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan, and Japan. She was actively engaged in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. ACUSHNET was commissioned as an Auxiliary Tug (WAT) in the Coast Guard on August 23rd, 1946. She joined two other U.S. Navy Diver Class vessels, the ESCAPE and the YOCONA. ACUSHNET has served the Coast Guard proudly ever since, in homeports like Portland, Maine; San Diego, California; Gulfport, Mississippi; Eureka, California; and Ketchikan, Alaska. To the crew of ACUSHNET, I charge you to continue to live the legacy of your fine cutter. Keep her safe as you travel the same harsh waters as the "former Queen." Be ever vigilant, and Always Ready; these waters demand it.

Conclusion:

64 years and 5 months of dedicated, continuous service cannot be recounted in a single day, or contained within a single speech. For those with the privilege of personally knowing this "former Queen of the Fleet", serving on her decks and working in her engine spaces, we know that she will always carry special significance and memories for you. "Today we take time to honor YOUR dedicated service to our nation."

The Commandant, ADM Allen has sent a "Bravo Zulu USCGC STORIS" ALCOAST. After reviewing the long and illustrious history of STORIS he says "To all current and past members of the STORIS crews I offer a resounding well done! Your outstanding enthusiasm and professionalism displayed during six decades of service has left a great impression on the Alaskan, United States, and International Communities. Your unique contributions to this great nation will live on in her hull and the hearts and minds of us all.

Senator Ted Stevens has entered the following statement into the Congressional Record—

Mr. President, on the 8th day of February, 2007 this nation will retire another distinguished member of our greatest generation, the United States Coast Guard Cutter STORIS.

When the Coast Guard Cutter STORIS is decommissioned in Kodiak, Alaska she will have served this nation with distinction for more than 64 years. After reviewing the history of the STORIS, (the senator goes on to say)— From supplying medical treatment to native villages along our Northwest coast to rescuing mariners from the treacherous waters of the North Pacific and the Gulf of Alaska, the STORIS has been an integral part of Alaskan history. The Coast Guard Cutter STORIS has helped ensure the safety of the Alaska people, conducted law enforcement operations in support of Alaska’s fishing industry, and protected Alaska’s pristine environment.

Mr. President, the venerable STORIS holds the distinction of being the oldest commissioned cutter in the Coast Guard fleet and bears the appropriate title of "Queen of the Fleet." I ask all members of the U. S. Senate join me in recognizing the Coast Guard Cutter STORIS for nearly seven decades of proud service to our nation.

Will the former crew members of Coast Guard Cutter STORIS please stand to be recognized... (pause and wait for applause). As you stand I see every Navy and Coast Guard person who ever served on STORIS, in their generations stretching back. Your dedicated service to this great lady is the reason we are here, today. You protected her, maintained her, and watched over her, 24 by 7, through the decades.

I do not know if there will ever be another STORIS. If there is, if I could stand before those sailors of the future STORIS—on the day that new ship is commissioned—in a Coast Guard fleet that is yet to be. I would tell them, thinking of all of you "You stand on the shoulders of Titans. You join a legacy of greatness. And, one day, like them, your deeds will be legend."

On behalf of the entire Coast Guard, of Alaska, and our nation, thank you. You have embodied the Coast Guard core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty and have made it possible for this legendary Queen to remain, Semper Paratus, Always Ready. Bravo Zulu.

Congressman unexpectedly queries CG Admiral about illegal STORIS scrapping

Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA), emphasizes a point as he asks CG RADM Joseph Vojvodich a question about cooperation between CG and MARAD.

USCG Rear Admiral Joseph Vojvodich responds to Rep. Garret Graves' question about the illegal export and scrapping of the USCGC STORIS in Mexico.

On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 3, a hearing was held before the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation related to the status of acquisition programs for Coast Guard cutters. 

Speaking before the committee were Rear Admiral Joseph Vojvodich, Assistant Commandant for Acquisition and Chief Acquisition Officer for the Coast Guard; Michele Mackin, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office; and Ronald O’Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs, Congressional Research Service.

A key focus of this hearing was to discuss how the government – and specifically the Coast Guard – is addressing and moving forward in response to problems that surfaced during the National Security Cutter and Fast Response Cutter acquisition programs. This, even as additional ships from these classes are still being built and new cutters are planned for the Offshore Patrol Cutter program. Other issues such as need and acquisition for Polar Class icebreakers were also discussed.

The Web site for the hearing with documentation, prepared comments and a full video of the proceedings is here: 

http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=399668

As the hearing approached the one hour mark, Congressman Garret Graves of Louisiana shifted the direction of discussion toward RADM Vojvodich to inquire about cooperation between the Maritime Administration and the Coast Guard. Rep. Graves specifically referred to the DOT Inspector General’s Audit of the MARAD management controls that identified problems in relation to identification and control over disposition of government vessels. This was discussed in the post on this site on Dec. 22.

Rep. Graves asked about inventorying efforts between the CG and MARAD to identify cutters slated to be disposed of and scrapped. The admiral responded that he had no specific knowledge of any such disposal list, though he confirmed that CG does work with MARAD. The Congressman asked for elaboration to be submitted for the record related to the activities between the CG and MARAD.

Graves then specifically pointed out that STORIS was scrapped in Mexico in violation of US Federal Law. The Congressman then posed the question to the admiral of whether he would state for the record if he was aware of any efforts to address that legal inconsistency with MARAD regarding STORIS. RADM Vojvodich did not have an answer to the specific reference to STORIS but indicated that he would submit a response to Congressman Graves’ question for the record.

Based on his delivery, RADM Vojvodich was caught off guard by the question. 

The hearing then continued on to discuss assessment and acquisition of polar icebreaking assets. 

Watch the exchange related to STORIS between Rep. Graves and RADM Vojvodich here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPhnxjksayk&feature=youtu.be&t=3489 

This is a significant development in that a senior officer of the U.S. Coast Guard was officially put on the spot in a Congressional hearing about what happened to STORIS and an answer is required. This is a good step forward in seeking answers for what was allowed to happen to STO.

Two facts are worthy of note. One is that RADM Vojvodich served as Executive Officer of STORIS ca 1997-99. https://www.uscg.mil/flag/biography/JosephVojvodich.pdf  Now this is nothing personal against RADM Vojvodich, as a couple of STO vets have indicated he was a great guy and he is a STORIS veteran. However, in the greater scheme of things, he is a senior officer that is part of the administration that was complicit in the destruction of the ship. While he may not have had personal involvement or responsibility, he’s a high-ranking officer within the CG Administration. As this whole affair has transpired, the higher you go in the food chain, the level of concern and sympathy for STORIS’ fate becomes inversely proportional to the level of seniority, rank and political position.

The other major point to recognize is that Rep. Graves is responsible for introducing HR 2876 in the House. This is the House version of the STORIS Act. He’s on the ball and brought STORIS to the forefront of a major Coast Guard hearing.

For STORIS supporters who live in the Pelican State, it would be greatly appreciated if you can reach out to Rep. Graves’ office to thank him for his comments at this hearing. The phone numbers for the Congressman’s offices are 202-225-3901 (DC) or 225-442-1731 (Baton Rouge). You can send a simple email thank you to the email submission site at  https://garretgraves.house.gov/contact/email.  (If you haven’t already submitted a more formal letter of support for the STORIS Act, I can get you contact information to send a letter of support by email and bypass the postal mail or the email site. More direct…)

Efforts are moving forward to get this legislation passed and it is clearly an active topic of discussion in Washington. 

There will be more developments coming with this and I will post as soon as I have more to add. 

In the meantime, I have had four more STORIS Vets indicate to me that they are interested in writing letters on behalf of the ship. I have also just submitted my letters to my Congressional Representatives, as I had been waiting to time it in conjunction with some legislation that they were pushing for. They will be hearing from me by phone as a follow up next week.

I am hoping to hear from more STORIS supporters around the country as we work to push this legislation forward.

Email me at cgcstorisqueen@gmail.com and I will set you up with a letter template and information for your specific Congressional Delegation. Zip Code +4 numbers will need to be included in the email to identify the correct senators and representatives.

ABC News Anchorage features STORIS and the STORIS Act

ABC News Reporter Kensey Finnegan from Anchorage has just broadcast two news segments related to STORIS and the STORIS Act. 

Part I:  

Part II:


With the new year underway, we are hoping to build momentum to get this legislation passed.

Dec 31 marked three years since STORIS listed on National Register

Three years ago on Dec 31, 2012, USCGC STORIS was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, officially recognized as nationally significant and worthy of historic preservation. 

Just a few short months later, the same U.S. government that recognized the ship as nationally significant and supposedly worthy of preservation sold her to a shady scrap merchant who then held the ship hostage in an extortion scheme over the summer. The government then allowed the ship to be illegally exported for dismantling in Mexico.

We are left to ask WHY?

This was no ordinary ship... This was STORIS, Queen of the Fleet, Bulldog of the Bering and Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast. 

It is sad to read knowing her ultimate fate, but her exploits and history are forever enshrined in the National Register documents. Section 7, uploaded at http://goo.gl/1FkXPF, is a physical description of the ship as well as a description of the ship's evolution over time. Section 8, uploaded at http://goo.gl/DBK8Oe, is the narrative history of the ship.

If you haven't already done so, please read these documents to fully understand what we have lost. We should be walking her decks and admiring fresh paint in Toledo where she was born. Instead, we only have black and white on paper to remember her. 

And for this is why we fight for accountability with the STORIS Act legislation and the associated audit of the US Maritime Administration and the other agencies tied in with ship disposal. The recent release of the DOT Inspector General report on MARAD's management controls that officially identified deficiencies in MARAD's management practices is a clear acknowledgement that the government was wrong in its disposition and handling of STORIS. This was discussed in the post of Dec. 22.

It's been over two years since we lost STORIS but there is still work to be done. After the new year, there will be a renewed push for the passage of the STORIS Act legislation. I sincerely hope that you will join me in this effort as I cannot do this all by myself. 

Best wishes to STORIS Supporters in the New Year and I look forward to continued correspondence and work with all of you.

For the Mighty STORIS.

Final MARAD Appeal answers some questions, creates additional inquiries

I have finally finished reviewing MARAD’s response to my FOIA Appeal. This was to have been received by Feb 9. I received it on Nov. 12, only after repeatedly reminding MARAD officials that they were very late. I’m kind of curious as to why MARAD sent this document to me via FedEx rather than by email.

In the appeal, Michael Rodriguez, deputy administrator for MARAD, indicates that the agency has determined that their search for documentation related to my Nov. 4 FOIA request was reasonable in its scope. Related to the points of contention I offered related to redacted materials, MARAD partially granted release of these withheld items while continuing to deny others. Items were redacted based on personal privacy issues as well as attorney-client privilege.

While MARAD was rabidly liberal about redacting information for government officials and Coast Guard officers from the documents, I found that there were other instances where private information for American citizens was not redacted as it should have been. I had to do that myself in order to protect the interests of STORIS vets as well as my own privacy. The government bends over backwards to protect itself, makes a huge issue about how I have to share this information, then sends me a huge electronic file that is cumbersome to edit myself without the correct software. If they want it shared, there should have been a consistent application of redaction to protect the privacy of private citizens rather than focusing on covering the behinds of government bureaucrats. Instead, MARAD’s inconsistent application of redaction seriously delayed the posting of this information until now.

Another curiosity is why Rodriguez responded to this appeal and not Chip Jaenichen, the Chief Administrator of MARAD. Jaenichen has the final say on releases of information, particularly one like that of STORIS which has, no doubt, become a thorn for MARAD officials.

MARAD responded that the inquiry into missing emails from Joe Pecoraro, superintendent of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, will be a dead-end. Apparently, the agency claims that there is no backup system in place for the email system used by Joe Pecoraro.

The release does bring 450 pages of materials to us for our efforts to find answers related to STORIS and her illegal disposition and scrapping out of the country. A lot of these materials have already been turned over through other FOIA releases, through MARAD or other government agencies.

There are still some issues with this release for which I will be following up with MARAD.

Here are the links to the various sections of the release. Some of these documents are quite large (upwards of 18 MB) so are best viewed on a desktop computer.

Cover letter: https://goo.gl/5pNYHR

Release- Pages 1-64: https://goo.gl/1anCGE

Release- Page 65: https://goo.gl/Kvy0eb

Release- Pages 66- 110: https://goo.gl/ER3gNL

Release- Pages 111-129: https://goo.gl/itcDuZ

Release- Pages 130-168: https://goo.gl/3eQxit

Pages 169-170: https://goo.gl/5hmnP6

Pages 171-200: https://goo.gl/YnlCyA

Pages 201-210: https://goo.gl/V3IBBD

Pages 211-228: https://goo.gl/uG7omP

Pages 229-232: https://goo.gl/6tzt15

Pages 233-253: https://goo.gl/ucQoxc

Pages 254-255: https://goo.gl/GArS0H

Pages 256-465: https://goo.gl/17mBGO

A brief summary of the released materials along with questions we can pose related to the documentation:

P1-  Correspondence between Jeff Siragusa of MARAD and the STORIS buyer, Mark Jurisich of U.S. Metals Recovery.

As noted before in earlier posts, it is interesting to note that Jeff Siragusa was vice-president and program manager at the ship recycling business known as North American Ship Recycling (NASR) located at the old Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point (Baltimore, MD) shipyard, so he should be well aware of the construction of older American vessels of WWII vintage. We are aware of the 2007 lawsuit filed by Clean Venture against NASR over the salvage ship USS HOIST (ARS-40) and the tank landing ship USS SPHINX (ARL-24).  Both ships were determined to contain hazardous materials, particularly the SPHINX, which was identified as containing waste oil, lead paint and PCBs. We’ve also seen the stories published in the area newspapers at the time regarding those vessels from the James River Reserve Fleet. In the stories, MARAD officials are quoted in regard to the problems that the NASR shutdown and associated controversy caused for the government:

“The U.S. Maritime Administration, which oversees the fleet, said in a statement Thursday that it is ‘disappointed’ by the sudden closure.

‘All rights and remedies available to the agency related to those contracts, and NASR's failure to perform under those contracts, are being pursued, but cannot be discussed,’ according to the statement released by Susan Clark, an agency spokeswoman.” – Shipyard closure sinks plan for 6 ‘Ghost Fleet’ ships – Scott Harper, Pilot Online 11/9/07

http://www.pilotonline.com/news/shipyard-closure-sinks-plan-for-ghost-fleet-ships/article_b39367e0-4483-5e8f-8d17-8750f319e14b.html

The situation couldn’t have caused too much trouble for MARAD if they turned around and hired Jeff Siragusa from the wayward firm to work for MARAD. From what we’ve read in the MARAD FOIA paperwork released to me, Siragusa was directly involved in passing judgment on the legality of releasing STORIS for destruction in Mexico. He and the agency knew better yet they allowed this to happen.

P2- Discussion related to moving damage control and technical manuals from land storage back aboard STORIS at Suisun Bay. These documents were undoubtedly destroyed.

P3-4 – Discussion re: costs for storage at SBRF and maintenance by SBRF personnel.

P5-7- Redacted documentation referred to GSA for release.

P8- Storage for PLANETREE, IRIS and STORIS at the SBRF

P9-10- Discussion re: tow arrangements for the scrap tow out of the SBRF pending State Department approval for the export. Load line exemption certificate for tow

P11-19- Cost breakdown for storage of the PLANETREE, IRIS, STORIS and possibly JARVIS at the SBRF. Interesting to note that the storage costs for STORIS were only noted at $33,500. This is much lower than other sources which indicated that the cost was significantly higher. This cost to maintain the ship was a driving factor in GSA expediting disposal of the ship as being “in the best interests of the government.” STORIS was sold for $70,100 in the June 2013 auction.

P20-21- David Crisman, MARAD OSHA employee, conducted a survey of friable asbestos on STORIS on Aug 30, 2013. This was two months after the auction. Why was this done?

P22- Redacted correspondence with Jeff Beach of Coast Guard related to the steps needed to remove STORIS from the SBRF.

P23-27 – Correspondence (redacted) related to CG personnel checking serial numbers of small boats aboard PLANETREE, IRIS and STORIS and inspecting the cutters themselves.

P28-29 – Correspondence between Jeff Beach of CG and Joe Pecoraro of MARAD re: STORIS Museum nominating the ship for the National Register of Historic Places

P29-34 – Discussion among CG and MARAD re: storage of decommissioned cutters by MARAD during excessing and disposition process by CG

P35-36 - Joe Pecoraro references GSA auction on 7/1/13, states it is bad PR for the Coast Guard. He says that it’s a shame as the ship was in really good condition for her age and would have made a good museum ship.

P36-42 – Discussion of storage costs for the two 180s and STORIS at SBRF, into 2014, then discussion with the pending departure of STORIS in FY 2013.

P43- Acknowledgement that the technical manuals can be placed back aboard STORIS

P44-52- Discussion re: removal of filter assembly from PLANETREE or IRIS to replace a damaged unit aboard a 378. STORIS was accidentally boarded by contractors looking for the filter.

P53-54 – Discussion re: storage of CG cutters at the SBRF

P55-56 – Discussion re: visit to STORIS to photograph small boats

P57-64- Discussion re: excessing process for STORIS and how STORIS Museum would be able to acquire ship

P65-67 – Discussion re visit to STORIS for small boat inspection

P68-69 – Discussion re steps needed to remove STORIS from SBRF

P70-71- Discussion in early 2012 re questions from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee related to status of STORIS

P72 – Correspondence between CG and GSA re removal of STORIS from SBRF and a required extension as MARAD was unable to make the ship ready for removal by the set GSA date of mid July

P101- 7/11/13 CG email to GSA, CA law requires hulls to be cleaned every 5 years. STORIS hill cleaned in 2007.  Why wasn't it cleaned before it went to Mexico?

P 105 - MARAD redacted attorney client privilege emails dated 9/5/13 re consent decree, foreign transfer, etc. no reference to prohibition on scrapping abroad

P 107- Discussion again within MARAD offices related to STORIS and her designation as free of PCBs. Also reference to Jeff Siragusa walking through STORIS and making a determination that the ship was free of PCBs based on observing new wiring on board. This does not acknowledge all the old/original wiring that we know was on board based on statements from members of her final crew. Siragusa should have known STORIS couldn’t have been free of PCBs based on her age and prior use.

P111-129 – Correspondence from me to MARAD regarding MARAD allowing export of the ship. On page 126, there is an issue in that, with my email to Franklin Parker (MARAD), Garbow (EPA), and Frederick Kenney (CG) dated 10/28/13, the CG never gave me this email in their FOIA release. I pointed this out in the recent correspondence with CG.

P140 – There is an EPA email to MARAD re reflag request dated 10/29/13. Where is document?

P215 - Kevin Tokarski (MARAD) email, STORIS built in 1942 so vessel likely has PCBs. Kevin (POC for ship recycling program) doesn't have visibility on GSA auction and the auction terms

P222 – Kevin Tokarski email that cc’s MARAD Administrator Jaenichen. We’ve never seen any of Jaenichen's emails from MARAD in any of the releases. Where are they?

P233 – March 2014 EPA guidance to embassies re STORIS that claims EPA does not have a role in approving ships for export. Then why is the issue of PCBs and exporting of ships show up prominently on the EPA Web site complete with a video of Chris Rollins of EPA Region IX speaking of PCB issues on ships. Remember, Rollins was the PCB investigator I spoke with prior to STORIS’ export who assured me all was in order and the export was documented as acceptable. (For us to find out later the paperwork was seriously deficient – or completely worthless.)

P248 –10/23/13 email from Kevin Tokarski to Franklin Parker, counsel for MARAD. Like the emails from Jaenichen, we haven't received any of Parker's emails through FOIA, either. Even if they were redacted through attorney-client privilege, these emails aren’t otherwise acknowledged.

The rest of the document is repeated correspondence and the monthly rosters and maintenance records (with expenditures) for the Coast Guard in order to keep STORIS at the SBRF. This also includes visitor logs. There is no record of the buyer, Mark Jurisich, visiting the ship prior to the auction. He only goes aboard after the sale, so the ship was purchased sight unseen, apparently. The documentation of the ship’s condition does demonstrate that she was in excellent condition, and an email from MARAD historic preservation officer Barbara Voulgaris shows her disappointment in STORIS being lost to scrapping.

DOT IG releases audit report of MARAD management controls: STORIS included in comments

In late October 2014, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation initiated an investigation into the management controls of the U.S. Maritime Administration.

Since at that point through the Freedom of Information Act we had already received a lot of documentation from MARAD related to the mishandling of STORIS, I wrote to the IG's office and provided details of the illegal excessing and sale of the ship. I received very friendly and positive responses to the information I submitted. I followed up in February of 2015 with some additional information that came to light in subsequent MARAD releases.

Among the main issues:

1. The sale of STORIS through the General Services Administration was a violation of 40 USC 548 because her tonnage exceeded GSA's 1,500 ton statutory limit. MARAD should have been directly involved with STORIS' disposal, not GSA. Yet as CG and GSA broke laws with STORIS' excessing and sale, MARAD officials stood by and did nothing.

2. STORIS, as a former US Government vessel, should have been prevented from being exported for scrapping in Mexico through Section 3502 of the Duncan Hunter NDAA of 2009. Again, MARAD did nothing to prevent this.

3. STORIS likely contained regulated amounts of hazardous materials including PCBs that should have made her transfer through sale illegal. Exporting PCBs is banned through the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

My letter to the DOT IG is here: https://goo.gl/rcwXez

The final report was released on Monday, December 14 and it identifies several problems within the management of MARAD. It was a very pleasant surprise to see that the situation with STORIS was specifically addressed on page 13. This is very important as this language solidly validates the reasoning behind and necessity for the Government Accountability Office audit of MARAD that we are working to pursue through the STORIS Act legislation. The specific reference to STORIS is here:

Ship Disposal Program.

"MARAD is the disposal agent for obsolete NDRF vessels and some vessels owned by other Government agencies.(Footnote 13) However, the Agency lacks policies and procedures for notifying other Federal agencies of its role as the disposal agent and identifying the universe of Government-owned vessels it is responsible for disposing. Because MARAD does not have statutory authority to enforce compliance by other Federal agencies, the Agency has established ship disposal agreements with some but not all applicable Government agencies. For example, MARAD has disposal agreements with the Navy, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and General Services Administration (GSA), but not with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—which, according to MARAD officials, also owns vessels under MARAD’s purview for disposal. Additionally, most of the agreements are vessel-specific and do not cover the universe of applicable vessels for which MARAD is responsible. For example, MARAD’s May 2013 agreement with the USCG covered disposal of two USCG cutters that were under 1,500 gross tons—the Planetree and the Iris—but it did not cover other USCG cutters that may have been under MARAD’s purview for disposal. Therefore, some of these agreements have not been effective to ensure MARAD always fulfills its responsibilities as the ship disposal agent. For example, even though MARAD had the agreement with USCG to dispose of two of its cutters, the USCG disposed of another cutter, the Storis, through GSA without consulting MARAD to determine if the Storis fell within the Agency’s purview. When MARAD does not dispose of vessels for which it is responsible, the Agency may not receive proceeds for its Vessel Operations Revolving Fund for MARAD and National Parks Service (NPS) programs.(Footnote 14)"

The Audit Report summary page is here: https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/32838

The final report is here: https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/MARAD%20Management%20Controls%20Final%20Report_12-10-15.pdf

As 2015 comes to a close, we are hoping to continue pushing in the new year for additional action on behalf of STORIS and her vets. This audit release shows we are on the right track.

Reply to CG's inadequate response sent off via email; waiting to hear from CG JAG/General Counsel

With the flaws related to the recent final appeal that had to be coaxed out of the US Coast Guard hierarchy, I sent a response to CG officials last week maintaining that their response was wholly inadequate. 

The text is as follows: 

November 13, 2015

Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard  - STOP 7710
2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
Washington, DC 20593-7710
Staff Symbol: CG-611
Phone: (202) 475-3519

RE: Final Response - FOIA Appeal 2015-025

Dear ADM Zukunft (CAPT Michael Ryan), RADM Lytle, Mr. Maher et al --

The September 1, 2015 response from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the above-referenced FOIA Appeal is flawed as the Coast Guard’s efforts to fulfill the original request was inadequate/incomplete and this matter should still be considered open.

The specific problems that were not addressed in the Coast Guard’s response are as follows:

It is my understanding from speaking with several retired Coast Guard officers that it is a routine procedure once a cutter has been decommissioned from Coast Guard service for the associated records and documentation for that ship to be removed from the Office of Cutter Forces and the library of the Surface Forces Logistics Center. At the time of my original FOIA request of Nov. 4, 2013, the CGC STORIS had been decommissioned almost seven full years. Therefore, as a matter of procedure, the records associated with CGC STORIS would have been purged from the Office of Cutter Forces well before my inquiry. Yet the Coast Guard has responded that a comprehensive search of Cutter Forces records was undertaken, at a facility – according to what has been explained as standard operating procedure – that would no longer serve as a repository for those records. And while the FOIA response from USCG specifically discusses the Office of Cutter Forces, what about the technical library at the Surface Forces Logistics Center in Baltimore? The WMEC branch in Norfolk? Or the Surface Forces Logistics Center in Oakland that handled her mothballing?

The overall question becomes a matter of what the full procedure for the records purge involves. Are the records for decommissioned cutters disposed of/destroyed or are they moved to a separate archival facility somewhere else, such as the National Archives and Records Administration? The only records for STORIS that are immediately identifiable within NARA holdings are some Night Order books, many ship’s logbooks in Washington, DC, and a drawing set at the NARA facility at College Park, MD. Again, to say that a full search of the Cutter Forces facility was performed when that facility as a matter of procedure would no longer hold the requested records is quite disingenuous, especially without an answer as to where these records went as a matter of standard procedure.

There is also the matter of the “completeness” and “reasonableness” of the described search.

Attached is an email from retired Commandant Papp to Jim Loback, president of the STORIS Museum. Copied on this email is current Commandant Paul Zukunft. While I have had a copy of this correspondence since it’s original transmission, as it was forwarded to me by Mr. Loback, the Coast Guard did not send this correspondence to me as part of the records requested through the FOIA request. It’s likely that there are other such communications and documents within Coast Guard holdings that have not been released. This includes communications between the General Services Administration staffers handling the auction of STORIS and Jeff Beach the manager of decommissioned cutters/boats. There are references to haz-mat documentation and correspondence involving USCG in GSA materials released through FOIA that were not released by the Coast Guard. Additional correspondence from GSA sent the morning after closure of the STORIS auction shows that GSA sales official Tonya Dillard sought permission from Jeff Beach of the Coast Guard to accept the (below reserve) bid of $70,100 for the ship (see attached). This correspondence stream is also missing from the Coast Guard materials released to me.

Another critical document not provided by the U.S. Coast Guard is the “Specifications for the Lay Up Preparations of USCGC STORIS (WMEC-38) May 2007,” prepared by the U.S. Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific Naval Engineering Division. This document was obtained by searching other U.S. government resources, and was not provided by the Coast Guard. This is particularly problematic considering it contains specific information directly related to the request. It also relates back to the concerns about the adequacy of the FOIA search related to USCG offices and technical repositories.

These examples clearly demonstrate that there are materials that exist related to CGC STORIS and her excessing, sale and disposal that the U.S. Coast Guard did not send in response to my FOIA inquiry. The validity of the Coast Guard’s claims in relation to this FOIA request and its fulfillment come into question when there are such gaping holes across the response. Missing items and questionable search locations are cause for rightful skepticism regarding the adequacy and thoroughness of the search.

STORIS was a nationally significant historic ship listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition should have encouraged her preservation and interpretation rather than expedited destruction at the hands of the Federal Government bureaucracy. There is keen interest in how this great ship was allowed to be destroyed and an expectation of full transparency from this administration.

Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Jon A. Ottman

on behalf of the STORIS Museum of Juneau, Alaska (dissolved 2014),
The Last Patrol Museum of Toledo, Ohio
as well as the veterans and supporters of the USCGC STORIS

CC: 

Nikki Gramian, Office of Government Information Systems, NARA - Ref OGIS File No. 201400438 - USCG FOIA 2014-0566 of Nov. 4, 2013 re: USCGC STORIS (WMEC-38)
        
Danielle Ivory, New York Times    

I have received notices that Commandant Zukunft, his executive assistant and others have received the information.

CAPT Michael Ryan, the executive assistant sent a note over the weekend officially acknowledging receipt on behalf of ADM Zukunft. After a further review, additional materials are clearly missing from the CG response.

I responded to CAPT Ryan as follows:

Good evening Captain-

Thank you for your response, particularly on a Sunday morning.

As I continue to pore over the documents that I have received from the various agencies involved with the excessing, disposal and export of CGC STORIS, some additional materials are also conspicuous in their absence. This would be correspondence involving RADM Fred Kenney, former chief counsel for the U.S. Coast Guard. I personally addressed inquiries to RADM Kenney related to various aspects of the situation with STORIS and there does not seem to be any materials from the Coast Guard that reflect RADM Kenney's involvement. Meanwhile, there are communications involving the Maritime Administration where RADM Kenney is copied -- correspondence which I received through FOIA from MARAD -- yet those materials do not appear in the CG's FOIA release to me.

Your assistance in this matter is appreciated.

Jon Ottman

So now we wait some more, as RADM Marshall Lytle, the JAG and Chief Counsel for the CG, is apparently preparing a response on behalf of the CG according to CAPT Ryan.