Famous Coast Guard Mascots

Until recently, the US Coast Guard had only one Guardsman who had been the subject of a biography. And that distinction belonged to Sinbad, USCG (Ret), who held the rank of K9C (Chief Petty Officer Dog). His book is Sinbad of the Coast Guard, written by Chief Specialist George R. Foley, USCGR.

When the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Campbell adopted a stray, mixed-breed puppy in 1938, they had no idea what they were in for. Sinbad had his own enlistment papers, uniform and bunk. He caused more than one international "incident" and liked to have fun while on liberty.

This has been said of Sinbad: Sinbad is a salty sailor but he's not a good sailor.  He'll never rate gold hash marks nor Good Conduct Medals. He's been on a report several times and he's raised hell in a number of ports. 

On a few occasions, he has embarrassed the United States Government by creating disturbances in foreign zones.  Perhaps that's why Coast Guardsmen love Sinbad, he's as bad as the worst and as good as the best of us.

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 insuring that she stayed afloat during the voyage. 

Among that few was Sinbad.  He served faithfully on board Campbell for eleven years, garnering more sea time than most of his contemporaries, before finally retiring to the Barnegat Light Station. 

He passed away 30 December 1951 and was laid to rest beneath the station's flagstaff. If you would like to learn more about Sinbad, check out his biography, Sinbad of the Coast Guard.