Chamber organizes a departure ceremony as Coast Guard’s Eagle leaves New London on its 75th anniversary voyage to Europe

Eastern, CT. – The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut has organized a departure ceremony for this Saturday when the Coast Guard Barque Eagle leaves New London on its 75th anniversary voyage to Europe, the first of two chamber-led efforts to honor the Coast Guard’s training vessel and goodwill ambassador.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and New London Mayor Martin T. Olsen, Jr. will join Connecticut residents from around the region to wish the Eagle well. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m., at Coast Guard Station New London adjacent to Fort Trumbull.  More than 140 cadets will be on board.

“We want as many people as possible to join with us at Fort Trumbull to show our support for the Eagle, her captain and crew who train the Coast Guard’s future leaders,” said Tony Sheridan, the chamber’s president and CEO.

“It will be fun to watch as this magnificent vessel leaves the pier and heads out to sea.  The Coast Guard is an important part of our community. Its life-saving mission and work in homeland security responsibilities are important for our nation.”

Capt. Eric C. Jones said the trip is a special one as the Eagle heads back to the shipyard where it was built in 1936.  

"While we're excited to embark this voyage celebrating EAGLE's 75 years as a sail training ship, the moment the lines come in we'll be missing our homeport and looking forward to our return to friends and family in August."

Eagle departure ceremony

The Eagle’s first port call will be in Waterford, Ireland, May 27, the first of eight stops on its anniversary tour. They will be met by a group of Connecticut residents organized by the chamber of commerce.

“We will be looking forward to seeing some of our homeport friends after the three-week crossing of the North Atlantic,” said Capt. Jones.

After stopping in Ireland, The Eagle will make its way to Hamburg, Germany, where it was built at the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in 1936 and commissioned the Horst Wessel. It is scheduled to be there June 3rd.

The remaining port calls will be:  June 10, London, England; June 24, Reykjavik, Iceland; July 15, Halifax, Nova Scotia; July 22, Boston, Ma.; July 29, New Bedford, Ma.; and Aug. 5, New York, N.Y. 

The Eagle, long a prominent feature of New London Harbor and a key training vessel for cadets at the Coast Guard Academy, was re-commissioned U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle as a war reparation at the end of World War II, brought to this country and home ported in New London.  

Each year, the Eagle travels about 13,000 miles and trains over 600 Coast Guard cadets and officer candidates.  It averages between six and eight port calls each year.

About The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut:

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut is a collaborative of business and community leaders dedicated to securing and enhancing the economic vitality of eastern Connecticut. The chamber works to create value for its members and the region by providing forums for business networking, leadership and discussions of issues that affect the region; providing opportunities for members to showcase their products, services and accomplishments; helping small businesses succeed through educational programs; and working to reduce the costs of doing business in Connecticut.  For more information: www.ChamberECT.com