CQ CQ CQ DE NMN BT O 010001Z APR 95 FM COGARD CAMSLANT
CHESAPEAKE VA/NMN TO CQ BT U.S. COAST GUARD IS NOW CLOSING
DOWN CONTINUOUS HF CW WATCH AND CEASING ALL MORSE CODE
OPERATION ON THE HF BAND
AS WE CONCLUDE OUR WATCH WE WISH THE MARITIME
COMMUNITY FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS
THE COAST GUARD IS PROUD OF ITS TRADITION AND LONG STANDING
SERVICE TO THE MARINER ON HF MORSE CODE WHICH BEGAN IN 1901
WITH THE REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE ACTIVELY EXPERIMENTING WITH
WIRELESS AS A REGULAR MEANS TO COMMUNICATE ON LAND AND
AT SEA TO THE FIRST MORSE CODE RADIO INSTALLATION ABOARD THE
CUTTER GRANT IN 1903.
OUR ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS MISSIONS WAS TO RECEIVE DISTRESS
ALERTS. HOWEVER SINCE 1902 THE COAST GUARD HAS FAITHFULLY
AND DILIGENTLY LISTENED FOR TRAFFIC ON THE MF AHD HF COPYING AND
RESPONDING TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CALLS FROM
MARINERS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE OR REPORTING POSITIONS
WEATHER NAVIGATIONAL OR SAFETY INFORMATION
OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE PROVIDED MARINERS WITH URGENT SAFETY
AND NAVIGATONAL WARNINGS OVER HF MORSE CODE AND RECEIVED
VESSEL LOCATION UPDATES THROUGH THE AUTOMATED-MU-AL VESSEL
RESCUE SYSTEM.
WE WILL FELL A SENSE OF LOSS WITH THE PASSING OF CW.
THE NEED FOR OPERATORS WITH SENSITIVE EARS AND A FAST PRECISE KEY
WILL BE REPLACED BY COMPUTERS MODEMS AND AUTO ALARMS
THE SPECIAL EMOTION AND EXCITEMENT ENJOYED BY CW OPERATORS CANNOT BE
DUPLICATED AND THE CHILLING S O S SIGNAL WILL NEVER
AGAIN BE RECEIVED BY A COAST GUARD RADIO STATION
BUT CW HAS RUN ITS COURSE AND THE COAST GUARD LOOKS FORWARD TO SERVING
YOU ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
AND SYSTEMS VIA THE GLOBAL MARITIME DISTRESS AND SAFETY SYSTEM
WHICH WILL OPERATE WITH INCREASED EFFICIENY RELIABILITY AND
EFFECTIVENESS
FROM ALL COAST GUARD TELECOMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS WE BID YOU 73.
WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT
SIGNED CG CAMSLANT.BT DE NMN SK

GRAND FINALE

(The last CW message from radio station NMN, US Coast Guard)