USCGC Eagle is coming to Baltimore for Sail250! You can see her on Pier 4 in the inner harbor - and when you do, why not hop one pier over and join author Will Sofrin for a fascinating look at the storied history of America's Tall Ship?
This talk takes place on board USCGC WHEC-37, and will last about 45 minutes and conclude with time for Q&A.
Admission to the ship and its programs is free during Sail250, but donations are always appreciated to help with the ship's preservation.
This talk is drawn from Sofrin's new book, USCG Cutter Eagle: The Legacy of the Coast Guard's Flagship.
Since her commissioning in 1946, USCGC Cutter Eagle has been the training ground for generations of cadets from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Originally launched in Germany as the Horst Wessel, a Nazi training ship, Eagle was claimed by the United States after World War II and given a new identity that reflected American democratic ideals. Today, she sails thousands of miles each year, teaching young men and women the seamanship, discipline, responsibility, and teamwork required to serve in the Coast Guard.
Drawing on archival material, oral histories, and his own time embedded aboard, Will Sofrin follows Eagle from her wartime origins through nearly eight decades of American service. The book reveals the challenges faced by cadets as they learn navigation, sail handling, damage control, and shipboard leadership. It also explores Eagle’s diplomatic missions around the world, where she represents the United States in port visits that promote goodwill, cooperation, and cultural exchange.