Hero Honored: New Coast Guard Cutter, named after WWII resistance fighter, joins fleet

SEATTLE — On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard held a commissioning ceremony to introduce the newest Fast Response Cutter.

Coast Guard Cutter Florence Finch (WPC-1157) is only the second of three planned Cutter’s coming to the Pacific Northwest. The third Cutter will join the Florence Finch in Astoria, Oregon.

The Florence Finch is named after Florence Ebersole Smith Finch, a Filipino-American and a member of the World War II resistance against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Finch was credited for sabotaging acts against the enemy and assisting resistance members with falsified documents. After being captured, Finch was tortured and imprisoned for years before American forces liberated the Philippines in 1945.

“Florence Finch is a true Coast Guard and Filipino hero, and we couldn’t be prouder to honor her legacy,” said Coast Guard Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area Commander. “The cutter is now the only currently active ship in the United States military named after a Filipino-American.”

With her family in attendance, Finch was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which they accepted.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award given by the United States Congress.

The Florence Finch will be stationed in Astoria and support operations in the Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Columbia River.

According to the US Coast Guard, “The Sentinel-class FRC is designed for multiple missions, including search and rescue; fishery patrols; drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways and coastal security; and national defense.”

Read more about Florence Finch on the Coast Guard website.

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