Evening star., 1944-03-30
Port Security Officers
Tell Of High Morale
AT American 0utposts

III distant american OuCpOStS,
Coast Guardsmen do everything but
clean out the kitchen sink. No, wait
a minute-they do that, too.
They are jacks of -all-trades, gen.
eral practitioners in the art of law
enforcement. In some places. they
are civilization-the only civili-
cation the natives have ever seen.
Six Coast Guard officers, from
the United States faraway terri
tories and possessions. we're on
their way back to their posts today
after three days in Washington
comparing notes with other port
security officers. Each of them has
his own peculiar problems. Each
has found his own way of solving
them.
They are Comdr. E. G. Brooks,
and 1t. Comdr. c. R. Hartzell, both
of San Juan, Puerto Rico; 1t J. S.
Lucheme, st. Thomas, Virgin
Islands; 1t. w. NJ Caro-. Juneau,
Alaska 1t. j. C. Kjos, Ketchikan,
Alaska, and Comdr. F. K. Johnson,
Honolulu, T. H.
Morale Is Problem.
Up in Alaska, Its Caro- and Kjos
found their greatest problem was
morale in the face of the complete
isolation. lack of recreation and
Arctic climate. They have largely
overcome that by helping to make
| the men Self-sufficient as far as
recreation goeS-by providing ath-
Iletlc equipment, games and radios.
They also saw that the mail service
was improved, and that boosted
morale no end.
The boys up there, the officers
say, really feel they're in the war.
They have the assurance that the
jobs they do are direct contribu-
tions to victory. OF course, they
want to go home whenever they
can, and, if possible, leaves are
granted about once year. Beyond
that, they want to stick it out
until the war. is Won... ...,.a..s4, .-.
In the Caribbean, according to
Comdrs. Brooks and Hartzell and
Lit. Lucheme, the boys don't feel
that way. They're not quite as
lonesome, maybe, but they've got
the notion the war has passed them
by. Enemy forays into this area
have stopped almost entirely, and
the Coast Guardsmen are anxious
to go out after the war.
In st. Thomas, 1t. Lucheme said,
the Coast Guard is the only law
enforcement agency representing
the United States Government, and
its officers and men are required
to take hand in lots of business
not strictly their oWn-for instance.
doing work for the OPA, Justice
Department and Treasury.
Rum Is Major Item.
Our biggest problem though"
said the officer, is getting rum
back to the United States. We're
handling no war goods, either
coming or going"
Comdr. johnson said his men in
the Hawaiian Islands still chafe
under the wartime restrictions that
are in effect there-blackouts,
ASoehiSUto ibClVy dliO llO pldCc w
go when they do get leave. But
they're managing to overcome these
problems, he said and the morale
generally is excellent.
All the officers were high in their
praise of the cooperation between
regular Coast Guardsmen and the
volunteer Reservists who have been
taking over more and more of the
port security duties to release the
Regulars for sea duty. In San Juan,
Comdr. Hartzell pointed out, many
men who were majors and colonies
in the last war are serving willingly
this time as seamen second class.
Down there, the men are required
to be bilingual 10 facilitate rela-
tions with the stevedores who
speak only Spanish.