Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
USCGC White Alder
Louisiana Memorial Plaza
— USS KIDD Veterans Memorial and Museum —
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 6, 2010
1. USCGC White Alder Marker Panel 1
Panel 1:
7 December 1968
In memory and honor
of those shipmates who loyally served
the United States Coast Guard
on board the CGC WHITE ALDER.
They gave the ultimate sacrifice.
On December 7, 1968, the USCGC WHITE ALDER, a
132 foot buoy tender, had finished a long, hard day’s
work by successfully decommissioning 22 low water buoys.
At 6:29 pm, bound for her homeport of New Orleans with
a mere 14 hours to go, the WHITE ALDER tragically
collided with the upbound Steam Ship Helena, a 455 foot
Taiwanese freighter. With barely enough time to sound
her danger signal, the WHITE ALDER was hit broadside
to starboard sustaining such severe damage that she sank
immediately in 75 feet of water, sending 17 of her 20
crewmembers to an early grave.
Coast Guard and Navy master divers attempted recovery operations but were only able to recover 2 members due to the immediate silting over of the ship.
The Coast Guard elected to leave the remaining 15
crewmembers entombed on the cutter which
this page online
day remains buried at the bottom of the Mississippi
River at MM 195.3 near White Castle, Louisiana.
Latitude 30°12’01”N
Longitude 091°10’02”W
Panel 2:
CWO Samuel Brown, Jr. – Commanding Officer
ENC William Vitt
EN1 John Rollinson
CS2 Charles Morrison
QM2 John Cooper
YN2 Joseph Morin
BM3 Guy Wood
EN3 Walton O’Quinn
SN Frank Compisano
SN Richard Duncan
SN Roger Jacks
SN Steven Lundquist
EN Maurice Cason
SA Walter Abbott
SA Larry Fregia
SA Ramon Gutierrez
Crewmembers That Survived
BMC Richard Batista (on leave)
BM2 Richard Kraus
FN Bruce Kopowaki
SA Lawrence Miller
“Mourn not for him,
he sails with one more divine.”
Erected by U.S. Coast Guard.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is December 7, 1968.
Location. 30° 26.632′ N, 91° 11.423′ W. Marker is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish. Marker can be reached from South River Road north of Government Street. Marker is in the Louisiana Memorial
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 6, 2010
2. USCGC White Alder Marker Panel 2
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Louisiana Vietnam War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); A-7E Corsair II (a few steps from this marker); Korean War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); John Archer Lejeune (a few steps from this marker); USS Kidd Veterans Museum & Ship (a few steps from this marker); Purple Heart Ship (within shouting distance of this marker); USS KIDD - "DD 661" (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Flying Tiger (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baton Rouge.
More about this marker. Panel 1 displays a rendering of the USCGC WHITE ALDER. Panel 2 displays the seal of USCGC WHITE ALDER/WLM-541.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. White Alder Memorial Light near White Castle, La.
Also see . . .
1. USS KIDD and Veterans Memorial, Baton Rouge, LA. (Submitted on March 19, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Coast Guard Honors CGC White Alder Crew. (Submitted on April 14, 2018.)
Additional keywords. "Coast Guard Cutter"; shipwrec USCGC White Alder
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 6, 2010
3. USCGC White Alder Memorial
- in the plaza, just north of the main entrance to the USS KIDD [Louisiana State] Veterans Memorial Museum.
Photographed By U.S. Coast Guard, circa 1960
4. The USCGC White Alder
Photographed By U.S. Coast Guard, circa 1969
5. The original White Alder Memorial in New Orleans, Louisiana
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 6, 2010
6. USS KIDD, Fletcher-class destroyer renowned for her service during WWII
- centerpiece of the USS KIDD Veterans Memorial and Museum, viewed from near the White Alder Memorial.
Photographed By Cajun Scrambler, April 9, 2005
7. USCGC White Alder Marker Light
Memorial light located at Mississippi River Mile Marker 195A (west bank) at location where Cutter sunk. Semper Paratus.
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, July 19, 2015
8. United States Coast Guard Memorial Plaza Marker
Photographed By Cajun Scrambler, April 9, 2005
9. USCGC White Alder Memorial Light
At mile marker 195A. Light is on LA 405, north of White Castle, LA or south of Plaquemine, LA, close to the small village of Bayou Goula, LA.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 3, 2018. It was originally submitted on March 19, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,414 times since then and 58 times this year. Last updated on November 30, 2018, by Kenneth Ramagost of Unknown, Louisiana. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 19, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 7. submitted on August 1, 2015, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. 8. submitted on July 30, 2015, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 9. submitted on August 1, 2015, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
