378' Hamilton-class Cutters
378’ HAMILTON-CLASS CUTTERS
(HIGH ENDURANCE CUTTERS)———————————————————————
The 378’ Hamilton-class cutters were the largest ships in the Coast Guard, apart from the Polar-class icebreakers and USCGC HEALY (WAGB-20), until being replaced by the 418’ Legend-class cutters beginning in 2008. These cutters were called the Hamilton class after their lead ship, or the "Secretary class" because most of the vessels in the class were named for former Secretaries of the Treasury, with the exception of the "Hero-class cutters" JARVIS, MUNRO, and MIDGETT.
The 378’ High Endurance Cutter (WHEC) program was initiated in the 1960s. The Hamilton-class cutters were intended to fulfill both the peacetime and wartime requirements of the Coast Guard. All of the 378’ Hamilton-class cutters were built between 1965-1972 by Avondale Shipyards, LA. The Coast Guard originally planned to have 36 Hamilton-class cutters constructed. However, due to the termination of the ocean stations program, the number of cutters was reduced to 12.
The cutters MIDGETT and MUNRO were formally renamed to JOHN MIDGETT and DOUGLAS MUNRO, respectively, to allow the new 418’ Legend-class cutters MIDGETT and MUNRO to assume the former names of the two Hamilton-class cutters.
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378’ WHEC
378’ WHEC
378’ WHEC
USCGC HAMILTON (WHEC-715)
Commissioned: 18 March 1967
Decommissioned: 28 March 2011
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15)
USCGC HAMILTON (WHEC-715)
Commissioned: 18 March 1967
Decommissioned: 28 March 2011
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15)
USCGC DALLAS (WHEC-716)
Commissioned: 11 March 1968
Decommissioned: 30 March 2012
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16)
USCGC DALLAS (WHEC-716)
Commissioned: 11 March 1968
Decommissioned: 30 March 2012
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16)
Kicked Out of GITMO 1986
USCGC DALLAS (WHEC-716)
Commissioned: 11 March 1968
Decommissioned: 30 March 2012
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16)
USCGC DALLAS (WHEC-716)
Commissioned: 11 March 1968
Decommissioned: 30 March 2012
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16)
USCGC DALLAS (WHEC-716)
Commissioned: 11 March 1968
Decommissioned: 30 March 2012
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16)
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8022
Commanding Officer
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8022
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8022
DECOMM 2020
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8022
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as CSB 8022
Golden Anniversary
50 Years of Service
(3-1/2” H x 3-1/2” W)
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8022
First Class Mess
(4” L x 1-1/4” H)
USCGC MELLON (WHEC-717)
Commissioned: 9 January 1968
Decommissioned: 20 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8022
First Class Mess
(Spinner w/Working Compass; 3” diameter)
USCGC CHASE (WHEC-718)
Commissioned: 11 March 1968
Decommissioned: 29 March 2011
Transferred to the Nigerian Navy as the NNS Thunder (F90)
USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719)
Commissioned: 24 June 1968
Decommissioned: 16 March 2016
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17)
USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719)
Commissioned: 24 June 1968
Decommissioned: 16 March 2016
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17)
(Heavy; 3” diameter; 1/4” thick)
USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719)
Commissioned: 24 June 1968
Decommissioned: 16 March 2016
Transferred to the Phillippine Navy as
BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17)
Final First Class Mess
(3” diameter; 1/4” thick)
USCGC SHERMAN (WHEC-720)
Commissioned: 23 August 1968
Decommissioned: 29 March 2018
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Gajabahu (P626)
Alameda, CA
USCGC SHERMAN (WHEC-720)
Commissioned: 23 August 1968
Decommissioned: 29 March 2018
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Gajabahu (P626)
San Diego, CA
USCGC SHERMAN (WHEC-720)
Commissioned: 23 August 1968
Decommissioned: 29 March 2018
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Gajabahu (P626)
First Class Petty Officers Mess
USCGC SHERMAN (WHEC-720)
Commissioned: 23 August 1968
Decommissioned: 29 March 2018
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Gajabahu (P626)
World 2001 Tour / Reunion 2021 Tour
USCGC GALLATIN (WHEC-721)
Commissioned: 20 December 1968
Homeport Arrival: 3 January 1969
Decommissioned: 31 March 2014
Transferred to the Nigerian Navy as NNS Okpabana (F93)
USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC-722)
Commissioned: 10 March 1969
Decommissioned: 18 April 2017
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8020
USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC-722)
Commissioned: 10 March 1969
Decommissioned: 18 April 2017
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8020
USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC-722)
Commissioned: 10 March 1969
Decommissioned: 18 April 2017
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8020
USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC-722)
Commissioned: 10 March 1969
Decommissioned: 18 April 2017
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8020
48 Years of Global Service 1969-2017
USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC-722)
Commissioned: 10 March 1969
Decommissioned: 18 April 2017
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as CSB 8020
(Heavy; 3” diameter; 3/16” thick)
USCGC RUSH (WHEC-723)
Commissioned: 3 July 1969
Decommissioned: 3 February 2015
Transferred to the Bangladesh Navy as
BNS Somudra Avijan (F29)
KIA’I KAI NO KA OI
“Watch Out For The Sea”
USCGC RUSH (WHEC-723)
Commissioned: 3 July 1969
Decommissioned: 3 February 2015
Transferred to the Bangladesh Navy as
BNS Somudra Avijan (F29)
KIA’I KAI NO KA OI
“Watch Out For The Sea”
USCGC RUSH (WHEC-723)
Commissioned: 3 July 1969
Decommissioned: 3 February 2015
Transferred to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Somudra Avijan (F29)
KIA’I KAI NO KA OI
“Watch Out For The Sea”
USCGC MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Order of the Blue Nose
(Heavy 4-1/2” W x 3-1/8” H x 1/4” thick)
USCGC MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
USCGC MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
USCGC MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
Presented by the Commanding Officer
for Exceptional Performance
USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
Decommissioning Crew
The Last 378
USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
The Last Hamilton Class Wardroom
1971 - 2021
USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
Last of the 378 Chiefs Mess
Last Man Standing
1971 - 2021
(2-1/2” diameter)
USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO (WHEC-724)
Commissioned: 27 September 1971
Decommissioned: 24 April 2021
Transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy as
SLNS Vijayabahu (P627)
First Class Mess
The Last of a Legacy
1971 - 2021
(3” diameter)
USCGC JARVIS (WHEC-725)
Commissioned: 4 August 1972
Decommissioned: 2 October 2012
Transferred to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Somudra Joy (F28)
USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC-726)
Commissioned: 17 March 1972
Decommissioned: 14 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8021
USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC-726)
Commissioned: 17 March 1972
Decommissioned: 14 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8021
USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC-726)
Commissioned: 17 March 1972
Decommissioned: 14 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8021
USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC-726)
Commissioned: 17 March 1972
Decommissioned: 14 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as
CSB 8021
USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC-726)
Commissioned: 17 March 1972
Decommissioned: 14 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as CSB 8021
Enlisted Cutterman
USCGC JOHN MIDGETT (WHEC-726)
Commissioned: 17 March 1972
Decommissioned: 14 August 2020
Transferred to the Vietnam Coast Guard as CSB 8021
