An excerpt from… ALL PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR A novel by Capt. Steven J. Craig, USCGR, (ret.) The birth of the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis began in the shipyards at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, La., on September 9, 1970. Constructed of top-quality materials, the Jarvis was built in sections that were later welded together. At 378 feet, the ship would be one of the largest cutters in the Coast Guard fleet. The high-endurance cutters of the Hamilton class were able to carry enough food, water, fuel, and men for extended periods at sea. With the missions assigned, the capabilities were particularly important when carrying out lengthy fishery patrols in the north Pacific waters. The Jarvis was one of twelve of the High Endurance class eventually built with the first commissioned in 1967. The High Endurance class of cutters missions would include long-range search and rescue, law enforcement, defense support and operations, and oceanographic research. Before the wide-spread commercial use of satellites, the Jarvis would also assist aircraft and ships with navigational and weather information. Late in the 1980s, the ‘378s’ were significantly updated and remodeled to enhance their mission performance capabilities. One of the more notable physical changes was the strengthening of the flight deck to accommodate the newer, more massive Coast Guard helicopter. While the previous version of the ship would show six rectangular portholes on the side, the new would show five. This material change is one of the more apparent distinctions when viewing pictures of this class of ship to determine the original era of the vessel. With two large Fairbanks-Morse diesel, 7,000 HP engines, the Jarvis could operate at a cruising speed of twenty knots. Operating at this cruising speed, the ship would have the capability of traveling ten-thousand nautical miles. Additionally, two Pratt and Whitney gas turbine 36,000 HP engines, similar to those used on Boeing 707 airplanes, could also power the Jarvis. Operation of the gas turbine engines would be for special rescue missions where a faster response time would be required. The diesel and gas turbine engines could not be used together. On April 24, 1971, the Coast Guard’s newest ship, the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis, was officially launched from the shipyard in New Orleans. Not yet complete, the ship was then towed within the shipyard where she was to be dressed and outfitted before her first sailing later in December. Later, on August 4, 1972, the Jarvis crewmen spent the early afternoon shining their shoes, squaring away their white uniforms, and lastly, donning their flat hats (also referred to as ‘Donald Duck’ hats) for the official ceremony. Petty Officers Loftin and Berry ascended to the flying bridge, where they proceeded to hoist the Coast Guard ensign (flag). The halyard line bounded the ensign; Petty Officer Loftin pulled the line, and the Coast Guard ensign unfurled. As Loftin recalls, “There I was in a historic moment and thrilled to pull on that halyard.” At 4:30 p.m., Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis became the first Coast Guard vessel to be commissioned in Hawaii. Toward the end of August, a new assignment was passed to the CGC Jarvis: Alaska Patrol. Here she would provide for law 52 RESERVIST � Issue 2 • 2020 enforcement, fisheries treaty enforcement, and ocean study along the Aleutians and the Bering Sea. For the next couple of months, routine patrols would take place with an occasional SAR case. It was toward the end of this period, that word came down that a visit to Alaska’s largest city would take place, the city of Anchorage. Loftin and Sandors, along with Petty Officers Tom Looney, Raymond Beaver, and ‘NOLA’ Eaton, immediately went to work on the details. Scaling up the masts, the men attached flags and pennants and snapped them to the cables in proper order. Strapped high up in the relatively calm, but freezing breeze, the temperature felt like thirty below to the men as they worked feverishly to complete the difficult work. Despite the conditions though, all was completed by the time Jarvis set the ‘special sea detail’ for anchoring. The ship made its grand entrance to Anchorage, much to the delight of the local population. As Loftin would later state: “The willingness of these shipmates to take on and complete a tough job is a testament to the character of the Jarvis crew.” With the ship tied to the wharf, the next few days were spent entertaining special VIP guests and hosting an open house for the community to assist with local Coast Guard recruiting efforts in the area. On November 6, Jarvis departed Anchorage to resume fishery patrols. Shortly after that, the ship stopped in Dutch Harbor for shelter from an approaching storm. It was here that Jarvis’s troubles began. Approaching Dutch Harbor, the ship was soon struck by severe weather. Working conditions outside were extreme; wind gusts up to seventy miles per hour, freezing rain and snow, even lightning. Combined with the severe sea swells, walking on the icy deck surface was slippery and hazardous. BMC Stanczyk, in charge of the anchor detail, was having difficulties outside trying to observe the anchor chain and communicate on the phone with his crewman, BM3 Larson. The roar of the sea, combined with the howling wind and rain, was deafening. The chief could not adequately determine if the anchor was dragging; the chain was covered in mud, disguising the markings. The Commanding Officer commenced backing with a two- thirds astern on both shafts as soon as he observed the anchor was in sight, intending to steer the ship away from its forward anchor chain. It was during this maneuvering that a particularly strong wind gust of seventy mph struck the port side of the Jarvis, driving her dangerously close to the reef. Sonar Technician Third Class Mike Large was on the outside deck when he observed how close the ship was to the coastline and immediately ran to press the General Alarm. Before he reached the alarm, however, General Quarters sounded. The Jarvis had run aground. This was an excerpt of a book on the adventures of the crew of the Jarvis by retired reservist, Capt. Steven J. Craig. Pick up where we left off in his book, “All Present and Accounted For.”
