Portsmouth, Va. – The United States Coast Guard is celebrating its 225th birthday on Tuesday!
USPS Forever stamp featuring the cutter Eagle and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter
The Coast Guard was formed by a Congressional bill signed by President George Washington in 1790 that authorized the construction of 10 cutters to enforce tariff and trade laws to prevent smuggling. They were known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and operated under the authority of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service would eventually join forces with the Lifesaving Service to form the United States Coast Guard.
To commemorate their 225th birthday, the United States Postal Service is releasing a Forever stamp featuring the Coast Guard cutter Eagle and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter.
Virginia falls into the Coast Guard’s 5th District, with their headquarters in Portsmouth. The 5th District also includes North Carolina, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware and parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
