On 30 December 1951, after almost fourteen years of faithful service to the United States Coast Guard, SINBAD crossed the bar and was laid to rest beneath the flagpole at Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, New Jersey. His service started in 1938, when the mixed-breed puppy was adopted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell. Assigned his own uniform and bunk, SINBAD sailed on board the cutter during WWII and saw much action, both at sea an in port. He earned the respect and affection of his shipmates during one famous battle when the Campbell fought it out with the Nazi submarine U-606. The cutter was severely damaged during the fight and the commanding officer ordered all but essential personnel off the ship. They transferred to a nearby destroyer but a tough and hardy few stayed on board the Campbell while the cutter was towed to safety, patching her hull and ensuring that she stayed afloat during the voyage. Among those few that stayed was SINBAD. He was also known to enjoy his beer and blow off steam while on liberty, which led to a couple of Captains Masts and one Court-Martial, after he was caught in flagrante delicto with a British Admirals pure-bred poodle. SINBAD served on board the Campbell for eleven years, garnering more sea time that most of his shipmates, and then was transferred to Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, where he served out the rest of his career. His favorite haunt there was Kubels Bar, when he had an open tab. SINBAD holds the distinction of being the first Coastie to be the subject of a biography, Sinbad of the Coast Guard, by George R. Foley, and the first Coastie to have his story told by Life Magazine, in an article entitled An Old Sea Dog Has Favorite Bars and Plenty of Girls in Every Port.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:25:22 +0000
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