(Sylvan Beach, NY – May 2013) The sound of musket fire by Civil War re-enactors and a flag-raising by Civil Air Patrol cadets will highlight the base commissioning of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 26 in Sylvan Beach on Sunday, June 2.
The annual commissioning ceremonies, which start at 1 p.m., officially open the Cove Road base for the 2013 boating season, noted Flotilla Commander Karen Beehm.
Coast Guard active duty and auxiliary personnel from around Central New York will join the flotilla for the ceremonies and a picnic reception, she said.
The 12th Infantry, a Civil War living history regiment based in Syracuse, will provide a contingent of re-enactors. The Civil Air Patrol’s Utica Cadet Squadron will provide a color guard squad.
For more than 50 years, Beehm said, the Coast Guard Auxiliary has served local boaters, responding to distress calls on Oneida Lake, making numerous patrols to ensure safety on the lake, providing free vessel safety checks, and offering “countless hours of public education on boating safety.”