USCGC Paul Clark (WPC-1106)
The USCGC Paul Clark was the sixth Sentinel class cutter. Like the previous five vessels she is homeported in Miami, Florida.[1] She was launched in April 2012.[2] She was delivered to the Coast Guard, for testing, on May 18, 2013.[3]
On September 13, 2013 the vessel repatriated 66 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas.[4] The migrants had been intercepted in four separate operations over the preceding days. Smaller vessels had intercepted four different migrant vessels. Coast Guard spokesman asserted that their interception of the migrant vessels saved lives because navigation between Cuba and Florida were so dangerous. The migrants were transferred to the Paul Clark for repatriation to Cuba.
On May 2, 2014 the Paul Clark intercepted a smuggling vessel off the coast of Haiti that was carrying a large volume of illicit drugs.[5] Her crew found 220 pounds of marijuana aboard the smuggling vessel, but the smugglers escaped.
Namesake
The vessel is named after Paul Leaman Clark, who served as a Fireman in the United States Coast Guard.[6] Clark was staffing a landing boat during a large assault on a beach in French North Africa, during World War II, when the craft's two other crew members were wounded by a Luftwaffe fighter. Clark took command of the craft, took the wounded crew members to a Navy ship, for medical care, and then returned to his duties as a beachmaster.
References
- ↑ Rhonda Carpenter (2012-11-05). "Coast Guard Commissions Third Fast Response Cutter, William Flores". Defense Media Network. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defensemedianetwork.com%2Fstories%2Fcoast-guard-commissions-third-fast-response-cutter-william-flores%2F&date=2013-01-04. "The first six FRCs for District 7 will be homeported in Miami; the next six in Key West; and the remaining six in Puerto Rico."
- ↑ "Current U.S. and Canadian Shipbuilding Contracts". Marine Log. 2012-12-28. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shipbuildinghistory.com%2Ftoday%2Fcontracts.htm&date=2013-01-04.
- ↑ "Fast Response Cutter, Paul Clark, named after WWII hero, delivered to Coast Guard". Government Security News. 2013-05-22. Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gsnmagazine.com%2Fnode%2F29636%3Fc%3Dmaritime_port_security&date=2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-05-31. "The Coast Guard accepted delivery of Paul Clark, the sixth vessel in the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (FRC) recapitalization project on May 18 in Key West, FL."
- ↑ "Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark repatriates 66 Cuban migrants". Miami, Florida: Coast Guard News. 2013-09-13. http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-cutter-paul-clark-repatriates-66-cuban-migrants/2013/09/13/. Retrieved 2013-09-13. "Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark repatriated 66 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Friday. This repatriation was a result of four separate migrant interdiction events this week."
- ↑ "Newest Fast Response Cutters Make $3M Drug Busts". Miami, Florida: Military.com. 2014-05-09. Archived from the original on 2014-05-10. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.military.com%2Fdaily-news%2F2014%2F05%2F09%2Fcoast-guards-newest-fast-response-cutters-make-3m-drug-busts.html%3Fcomp%3D7000023468292%26rank%3D1&date=2014-05-10. Retrieved 2014-02. "On May 2, a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew located a similar go-fast vessel in the vicinity of the Bahamas. The crew of the Paul Clark launched its smallboat crew, which was vectored to the suspect vessel’s location by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew. The suspects fled, and abandoned their vessel off the coast of Haiti. The Paul Clark crew arrived on scene and recovered approximately 220 pounds of marijuana from the vessel with a wholesale value of approximately $199,600."
- ↑ Connie Braesch (2010-11-02). "Coast Guard Heroes: Paul Leaman Clark". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoastguard.dodlive.mil%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F11%2Fcoast-guard-heroes-paul-leaman-clark%2F&date=2013-01-04. "Early into the assault, which lasted from November 8–11, 1942, Clark was unloading a transport when a hostile plane battered his boat with machinegun fire. The heavy fire mortally wounded the bowman and severely injured the coxswain. Showing unsurpassed courage and initiative Clark took control of the boat and withdrew from the beach with the injured crewmember aboard."
