United States Coast Guard Semper Paratus shirt

My grandfather, a man weathered by the Atlantic, used to tell me stories about the sea, tales of daring rescues and fierce storms. He never served in the Coast Guard, but he held them in such high esteem, always spoke of their bravery with a tremor of respect in his voice. He’d point to the Coast Guard cutters on the horizon, little slivers against the vast blue, and say, “Those are the ones who truly understand what it means to be ready.” That phrase, “Semper Paratus,” always stuck with me, a simple Latin declaration carrying the weight of duty and unwavering commitment. I remember trying to pronounce it, stumbling over the syllables as a kid, feeling the power of the words I didn’t fully comprehend just yet.

Thinking back, I always envied the guys and gals who wore those uniforms, the ones you see on the news pulling people from sinking boats during hurricanes. There’s something undeniably heroic about that, the willingness to face danger head-on, not for glory, but simply because it’s the right thing to do. My friend, Mark, actually signed up right after high school. He always loved the water, grew up near the coast too, always tinkering with boats and whatnot. He was the most gung-ho person I knew; always had that “get it done” kind of attitude. He got a United States Coast Guard Semper Paratus shirt when he was in boot camp, said he wore it almost every day, right until it was threadbare.

He came home on leave a few times, and even though he wouldn’t go into specific details about what he’d been doing, there was a quiet confidence about him that I’d never seen before. He always seemed more focused, more centered, as if the experiences had somehow solidified him. He’d tell me stories about drills and training, things that sounded brutally tough but also instilled a sense of purpose. I remember one time, he had this really intense look on his face, said something about the importance of teamwork and how it was the only way to get through some of those harrowing situations he described.