- History
- Contact
- Captain's Corner
- Captain's Biography
- XO's Biography
- Command Philosophy
- Reporting Aboard
- Contact Webmaster
Security Levels
History
CGC MELLON makes full use of recent technological advances in shipboard electronics. The Shipboard Command and Control System (SCCS) is the most advanced system in use in the Coast Guard. It incorporates a network of numerous computers including large screen displays and a dedicated satellite network for communications. CGC MELLON is equipped with multiple redundant navigation systems including the Differential Global Positioning System (dGPS). The ship was recently equipped with the AN/SPS-73 digital surface radar system that incorporates a state of the art computerized collision avoidance system. CGC MELLON was also one of the first cutters to employ closed circuit TV cameras to monitor engineering systems and operations on deck. During helicopter evolutions, these cameras eliminate "blind spots" on the ship and enable the crew to conduct these operations with an enhanced degree of safety.
CGC Mellon’s first Commanding Officer, Captain Robert P. Cunningham, was the first Coast Guard aviator to command a 378-foot cutter. Her first crew numbered approximately 150 personnel. The crew began training at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, HI before Mellon's commissioning.
CGC Mellon was originally homeported in Honolulu, HI. When she arrived in Honolulu, she earned the nickname "Mellon No Ka Oi," or "Mellon best of all." She received the Safety Award on August 1, 1968 by Rear Admiral B. F. Engel, Commander, 14th Coast Guard District.
Shortly after her arrival in Honolulu, Mellon departed for a naval show in San Diego, CA. Then considered "state of the art" in naval vessel design, she impressed those in attendance with her maneuverability and speed. She demonstrated the ability to reach speeds greater than 20 knots within two ship lengths from a standing stop. Newspaper accounts reported that she was able to reach a speed of 20 knots in less than 20 seconds and go from full ahead to full astern in less than one minute. The crowds were also impressed with her maneuverability. She was able to 
be maneuvered into a narrow berth, without the assistance of tugs, through the use of her bow propulsion unit.
Mellon saw extensive service during the conflict in Vietnam. She was twice awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation during the Vietnam War. She sailed as part of Task Force 115 (U.S. Navy Coastal Surveillance Force) which maintained close serveillance over 1,200 miles of Vietnamese coastline and 64,000 licensed watercraft. The task force seized large quantities of war material, preventing it from reaching enemy hands. During her service in the waters adjacent to Vietnam, Mellon also conducted numerous naval gunfire support missions, rescue operations, medical civic action programs and training programs for Vietnamese military personnel.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF)