Andy Card of the National Coast Guard Museum Association keynoted the congressional breakfast.
Andy Card, Rodney Slater and others in the Secretaries’ Circle of the National Coast Guard Museum Association joined Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft and members of Congress last week for a Capitol Hill update on progress to build the first National Coast Guard Museum.
Retired Adm. James M. Loy, former commandant of the Coast Guard and deputy secretary of Homeland Security, told the lawmakers that the mission of the museum is to honor the Coast Guard.
“Preserving the history of the U.S. Coast Guard must be done. I know firsthand that every Cabinet member that has overseen the Coast Guard shares my sentiments and was delighted to sign on to be a part of this elite Secretaries’ Circle,” Loy said, according to a statement.
Zukunft, the 25th commandant of the service, said that as the Coast Guard modernizes its workforce and resources it is essential that “the history of the Coast Guard is brought with us.”
Zukunft said that “in terms of where it is going to be located, we have it absolutely right.” He noted that during the previous week history was made when Coast Guard personnel seized 20 tons of cocaine and rescued more than 250 Cuban migrants.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., sponsored the event at the Senate Visitors Center and was joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., and other members of Congress from around the nation.
Murphy said there has been progress in appropriating federal funds to support the project.
