The USCGC Escanaba was a 165 ft "A" type United States Coast Guard cutter stationed on the Great Lakes from her commissioning in 1932 until the start of U.S military involvement in World War II in 1941. The Escanaba was redeployed into the Atlantic following the outbreak of the war. The ship was ultimately lost during the war due to being struck by either a torpedo or a mine on the early morning of June 13, 1943. The city of Grand Haven was hit hard emotionally by the loss of "its" cutter. As the war wore on, the citizens of Grand Haven managed to raise more than $1,000,000 in bonds to build a new cutter bearing the same name in order to honor the ill-fated ship and its men. The city continues to hold an annual memorial service to honor the sacrifice of the 103 men who were lost with Escanaba. The third Escanaba was commissioned in 1987 and is currently based in Boston, the final home port of her namesake.
