--- title: "Every Coast Guard officer begins their career on this former Nazi sailing vessel" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Logan Nye" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/logan-nye/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/coast-guard-eagle/" categories: - "Coast Guard" - "History" - "Ships" - "Tactical" --- # Every Coast Guard officer begins their career on this former Nazi sailing vessel ![]() The U.S. Coast Guard is involved in a variety of missions since it began service in 1790 as the Revenue-Marine. It has [destroyed pirate forts](), landed [Marines on beaches]() around the world, and recently captured over $1 billion dollars in cocaine. It requires a lot from its members. --- And, for nearly 70 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has trained all of its academy cadets on a 295-foot sailing vessel commissioned by the Nazis, ridden on by Adolf Hitler, and originally named for the man who wrote the [Nazi Party anthem](). ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Petty Officer Telfair Brown* The ship, now called the USCGC Eagle, has an amazing history. Launched in 1936 as the SSS Horst Wessel, the vessel was always destined to be a training ship. The Nazis made her the flagship of the training fleet of the Kriegsmarine, the navy. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Archives* Hitler is believed to have rode on her only one time, but legends persist in the Coast Guard about where [Hitler may have napped]() while on board. A sailor on the Horst Wessel in World War II, Tido Holtkamp said in a [BBC interview]() that Hitler's boots had nails that scratched the deck, but everyone was too afraid to say anything. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Archives* She served in this role for three years, but was sidelined at the start of World War II in 1939. For a few years, she was a dormitory for Hitler Youth. In 1942, the ship was pressed back into service with a complement of anti-air guns but they weren't very effective. Hotkamp remembers an American bomber attempting to destroy the ship, but it only survived because the bombs missed. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Archives* The ship was captured by the British in 1945. In 1946, Allied commanders splitting up the captured spoils of war reportedly pulled the names of captured ships from a hat. A Russian commander pulled the Horst Wessel, but a U.S. officer eager to bring home the tall ship convinced him to trade it. The ship was sailed across the Atlantic by a mixed crew of Germans and Americans. In American, she was rechristened the USCGC Eagle. It is the [sixth cutter]() to bear the name. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard* When the Revenue Cutter Service — a prelude to the modern U.S. Coast Guard — began training cadets, it had no physical building to train them in. Instead, it took it's first class of nine cadets and trained them on the USRC Dobbin, a cutter. In 1932 the academy received a permanent shore facility, but it has continued to use a sailing ship as a major part of the training process for potential officers. [Since 1946](), the vessel cadets have trained on has been the USCGC Eagle. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory Mendenhall* Training for emergencies is important when taking a nearly 80-year-old ship across the ocean. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard* Today, the training vessel also operates as a goodwill ambassador for the U.S., [visiting friendly ports]() in the U.S. and around the world. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Petty Officer Sherri Eng* It has visited Kiel, its original homeport, a few times throughout history. She's [due to return next year]() to celebrate the 70th anniversary of her trip to America. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Bobby Nash* A few presidents have been photographed on board the Eagle. The first was President Harry Truman. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Archives* President John F. Kennedy toured her and later gave a speech on deck. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Archives* Future president Lyndon B. Johnson was there for the speech by Kennedy. ![]() *Photo: US Coast Guard Archives* More historical photos of the Eagle can be seen at the [Coast Guard's website](). To keep up with the USCGC Eagle today, like the ship's [Facebook page](). ### NOW: [That time the Coast Guard captured 18 ships, and 8 more surprising stories from its history ]() ### OR: [24 historic photos made even more amazing with color ]() ## Author Logan was an Army journalist and paratrooper in the 82nd. Now, he's a freelance writer covering military history, culture, and technology. He has two upcoming podcasts and a Twitch channel focused on basic military literacy. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Facebook]()