ALCOAST 484/23 - DEC 2023 WINNERS OF THE 2023 EIGHT BELLS - A SEA SERVICE CELEBRATION WRITING COMPETITIONS

R 051756Z DEC 23   MID120000695426U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 484/23
SSIC 1710
SUBJ: WINNERS OF THE 2023 EIGHT BELLS - A SEA SERVICE CELEBRATION
WRITING COMPETITIONS
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 081050Z SEP 23/ALCOAST 319/23
1. Congratulations to CDR Nolan Cain for being selected as the 2023
Eight Bells Essay Competition winner! In his essay "Horizons," CDR
Cain best captured the spirit of the Cutterman: a deep appreciation
for the majesty of the sea, an acknowledgement of the danger and
challenges of a life and career spent on the ocean, and a
recognition of humanity and our Service being rooted there.
2. Congratulations to LCDR Kristopher Valdez for being selected as
the 2023 Eight Bells Poetry Competition winner! In his poem "U.S.
Coast Guard in Vietnam," LCDR Valdez chronicled the history of Coast
Guard operations during the Vietnam War and the important work Coast
Guardsmen did marking channels, conducting shoreline patrols, and
training South Vietnamese allied forces.
3. The judging panel would also like to recognize the following
honorable mentions:
     a. Essay: Mr. Paul Cheney, RMC (ret.) - "The Sea and Its Lore"
and ENS Brennan Suffern - "The Grit of the Underway Watchstander."
     b. Poem: ENS Sofia Scott - "Drydocked and Dreaming" and
LTJG Blake Knox - "To Cross a Line."
4. Eight Bells - A Sea Service Celebration recognizes the hard work
done by everyone who serves on a cutter, career cuttermen,
cuttermen-to-be, and those who support cutters. On October 18th,
cutters and cuttermen throughout the fleet paused operations and
took time to reflect on the traditions and routines that have bound
the afloat community together for over 233 years and driven countless
Coast Guardsmen and women to devote their careers to serving at sea.
The winning and honorable mention entries have been posted to the
COMDT (CG-751) SharePoint page at:
(Copy and Paste the URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/cg751/8%20Bells/Forms/AllItems.
aspx?viewpath=%2Fsites%2Fcg751%2F8%20Bells%2FForms%2FAllItems%2Easpx

5. POCs: Primary: LT Christine McCulla, Christine.C.McCulla@uscg.mil
Secondary: LT Jeffrey Porter, Jeffrey.E.Porter@uscg.mil.
6. RADM Todd C. Wiemers, Assistant Commandant for Capability (CG-7),
sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.