National Coast Guard Day is a holiday that’s observed on August 4th every year. It was originally created to honor the establishment of the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790. The Revenue Cutter Service was the original version of the modern National Coast Guard and was authorized by Congress. It started with just 10 cutters who were responsible for enforcing the first tariff laws of the U.S. Ever since 1790 this service has been in operation, although it did have its name changed from the Revenue Cutter Service to the Coast Guard in 1915. This is a great holiday for people to celebrate who is serving in the Coast Guard, know people who serve in the Coast Guard or simply want to honor them for all that they do on a daily basis. 

The History Of The U.S Coast Guard

As we stated in our introductory statement, the Coast Guard began its operation in 1790 as the Revenue Cutter Service and its original purpose was to enforce U.S tariff laws. In 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service was merged with the Lifesaving Service and it was renamed the Coast Guard. Twenty-four years later, the Lighthouse Service was folded into the Coast Guard in 1939. Other agencies were soon consolidated into the Coast Guard, including the Bureau Of Navigation & Steamboat Inspection in 1946. In 1967, the Coast Guard was then transferred from the Treasury Department to the Department of Transportation. This holiday was created as a way to honor the achievements of those who have served in the Coast Guard (or the Revenue Cutter Service before 1915) and has been celebrated in some way ever since the late 18th century. 

Movies That Feature The U.S Coast Guard

Have you been thinking about celebrating this holiday? Well, if you have, then you might want to think about celebrating it by watching a movie that features the U.S Coast Guard. There are a ton of movies that feature the U.S Coast Guard and these movies can give a brief look into how it operates. Below are some of the U.S Coast Guard movies that we recommend, although we do have to say that in some of the following movies the Coast Guard plays a relatively minor role. 

• Top Gun (1986)
• Day Of The Dolphin (1973)
• The Hunt For Red October (1990)
• Deepwater Horizon (2016)

Observing National Coast Guard Day

National Coast Guard Day is primarily a holiday commemorated by the individual units or commands in the U.S Coast Guard. However, that doesn’t mean that the general public can’t celebrate it in their own capacity. This holiday can be celebrated by the general public by going to one of the Coast Guard museums around the U.S., or by visiting one of the communities that celebrate this holiday with a little bit of pageantry. Or you can simply watch one of the many Coast Guard movies available to watch. While you do so, don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalCoastGuardDay on your social media account to encourage other people to observe this holiday.