AMERICA’S FINEST CITY By Holly Shaffner Who knew that San Diego was 1 of the nation’s 28 Coast Guard Cities? In fact, America’s Finest City is the largest Coast Guard City (by square miles) in the country! We were designated as the 23rd city on February 23, 2017 and this year we will celebrate our 3rd anniversary.
“It’s important for the Coast Guard to know that the community supports them and that we are there for them,” - Tony Teravainen
To earn this designation, a city must request it from Congress. It is an honor for a city to be approved for the designation as it shows the commitment of the city to the active duty, reserve, and retired Coast Guard and their families. That commitment comes in the form of constructing monuments to the Coast Guard, organizing civic celebrations and offering special recognition to support USCG morale, welfare and recreational initiatives. In 2022, San Diego will be reevaluated based on the support it has received and the accomplishments the city has made for the betterment of the Coast Guard and the community. To ensure the city is pushing forward with initiatives, San Diego started a Coast Guard City Advisory Committee. The members are appointed by the office of the Mayor and consist of local militaryaffiliated nonprofits, the Harbor Police, Port Tenants Association, San Diego Yacht Club, San Diego State University as well as the Coast Guard and the Mayor’s office. Their mission is simple, “To make the San Diego public aware of our Coast Guard, as well as make our Coast Guard aware of all the resources and support our community has to offer.” The current volunteer chairman of the Advisory Committee is former Navy submariner, Tony Teravainen, who heads the local non-profit, Support the Enlisted Project. “It’s important for the Coast Guard to know that the community supports them and that we are there for them,” said Teravainen. That support was tested in December 2018 when the government shut down for 35 days and Coast Guard members did not receive paychecks.
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WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2020