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U.S. Coast Guard Day

Commemorative · History · August 4

U.S. Coast Guard Day honors the service branch that guards American coasts and waterways, rescues people at sea and keeps shipping lanes safe.

U.S. Coast Guard Day

U.S. Coast Guard Day falls on Wednesday, August 4, 2027. That is 281 days away.

U.S. Coast Guard Day honors the branch of the armed forces that works on the water closest to home. Many people also call it the Coast Guard Birthday, and it recognizes the men and women who serve along American coasts, rivers and lakes.

The Coast Guard's work is varied. Crews answer distress calls and pull people out of rough water. They enforce maritime law, inspect vessels and help keep harbors and shipping lanes open. They tend buoys and other aids to navigation that boaters rely on without thinking twice. In cold regions, icebreakers clear paths through frozen water so ships can move.

The service's motto is Semper Paratus, Latin for "Always Ready." It fits a job where the call can come in the middle of a storm at three in the morning, from a fishing boat a long way offshore.

Communities with Coast Guard stations often mark the day with open houses, ceremonies or a chance to see the boats and helicopters up close. Families of those who serve share photos and stories. For people far from the coast, it is a moment to remember that the service also patrols the Great Lakes and major inland rivers.

The next time you pass a red or green buoy marking a channel, someone in the Coast Guard likely helped put it there and keeps it in place.

Ways to celebrate

Dates

YearDate
2026Tuesday, August 4
2027Wednesday, August 4
2028Friday, August 4
2029Saturday, August 4
2030Sunday, August 4

All national days on August 4

Also on August 4

Categories: Commemorative daysHistory days