The United States Coast Guard is the nation's oldest maritime agency. Founded on Aug. 4, 1790, it assumed the duties of the Revenue Cutter Service, the Lighthouse Service, the Steamboat Inspection Service, the Bureau of Navigation, and the Lifesaving Service. Today, Coast Guard responsibilities include:
* Aids to navigation. It maintains lighthouses, beacons, and buoys.
* Law enforcement. In the 19th century, Coast Guardsmen defeated pirates Jean LaFarge and Jean Lafitte of New Orleans and destroyed their stronghold on Breton Island. In the 20th century, they captured contraband, including large quantities of narcotics.
* Wartime service. The Coast Guard served valiantly in each war since its founding. In 1941, it seized 28 Italian, two German, and 35 Danish merchant ships. It also sank 11 submarines during World War II.
* Search and rescue. Over its history, the Coast Guard has come to the rescue of ships large and small, often saving the lives of hundreds of people from a single vessel.
Helicopters are one of the most important tools to help the Coast Guard carry out its search and rescue mission.
After the sinking of the Titanic in 1914, the Coast Guard began the International Ice Patrol, radioing reports of icebergs in the North Atlantic shipping lanes to merchant ships in the area. The service is now performed by Coast Guard aircraft.
