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| Press Release |
Date: July 19, 2007
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Funeral Service to be held for Former Coast Guard Commandant SAVANNAH, Ga. - The memorial service for a former Coast Guard commandant will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church Friday at 11 a.m. Adm. Owen W. Siler, 85, of Savannah, died Tuesday at St. Joseph's Hospital, peacefully from heart failure. Owen's family, The Coast Guard National Honor Guard and many Coast Guard personnel from around the nation will be attending this memorial service.
Admiral Siler served as commandant of the Coast Guard from 1974 to 1978. During his tenure, he instituted a minority recruiting program, was instrumental in having women admitted to Coast Guard Academy making it the first of the military service academy to announce acceptance of woman cadets. He arranged for the first female officers to attend flight training, and oversaw the expansion of the Coast Guard's Marine Environmental Protection program that included an increase of the service's area of jurisdiction along the nation's coastline to over two million square miles with the passage of the Fisheries Conservation and management Act of 1976. Remembrances may be made to the Coast Guard Academy, the American Heart Association or St. John's Episcopal Church. The commandant of the Coast Guard is the highest ranking person in the multi-mission service. The commandant is responsible for the oversight and direction of the all Coast Guard aspects during their four-year tenure. For more information on Admiral Siler and his career, please click here. IMPORTANT NOTE: Admiral Siler's family will be attending this memorial service. Their wishes will be respected over all others. Members of the media are invited and encouraged to attend this ceremony but must check in with Donnie Brzuska or Bobby Nash at 305-318-1864 prior to arriving. Members of the media must arrive no later than 10:45 a.m. Any late arrivals will be turned away due to the sensitive nature of this ceremony. Coast Guard members will be available to conduct interviews following the ceremony. ###
The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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