USCGC ALDER (WLB 216)

"Ruler of the Sea"

History

The USCGC ALDER (WLB 216) and her predecessors are named after the alder tree, a member of the genus Alnus, which is primarily found in northern temperate regions. Alders are characterized by their alternate, simple toothed leaves and small fruits that grow in woody, cone-like catkins. These trees play a vital role in stabilizing riverbanks and lakesides, and their wood possesses remarkable resilience; when submerged, it doesn't rot but instead becomes harder and stronger over time.

The original USCGC ALDER (WAGL 216) began her journey as a wooden-hulled commercial vessel before being acquired by the US Lighthouse Service in 1924. Initially, she served as an unmanned harbor launch in Ketchikan, Alaska. In 1929, she tragically exploded and sank but was salvaged and returned to service in 1930. During World War II, she operated out of Ketchikan, where she sustained damage while towing the SS Tongass in 1942. The vessel was decommissioned in 1947 and sold in 1948.

The USCGC WHITE ALDER (WAGL 541) served the Coast Guard from 1947 to 1968, primarily stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her main responsibility was to maintain river aids to navigation, but she also performed a variety of traditional Coast Guard missions, including search and rescue and law enforcement as needed. Notably, in 1965, she escorted a barge transporting chlorine to a chemical plant, and in 1968, she successfully refloated the CGC LOGANBERRY after it had run aground. Tragically, later that same year, WHITE ALDER collided with the merchant vessel Helena on the Mississippi River, resulting in the loss of seventeen crew members from her crew of twenty, with only three rescued. A memorial dedicated to her and her crew can be found at the Coast Guard Group New Orleans offices in Metairie, Louisiana.

USCGC Alder (WLB 216) is the 16th and final vessel in the Juniper-class seagoing buoy tender fleet. Her keel was laid by Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, WI, on February 7, 2004. After launching, Alder navigated all five Great Lakes, arriving at her home port in Duluth, MN, on October 16, 2004. She was officially commissioned by the Coast Guard on June 10, 2005, taking over duties from the 1944-built Balsam-class tender Sundew. In July 2021, Alder departed the Great Lakes for the Coast Guard YARD in Curtis Bay, MD, for her Midlife Maintenance Availability refit. Now, she proudly serves the San Francisco Bay and the broader California community.