Photo byPhoto byRamon Llorens DSO-PBRamon Llorens DSO-PBPhoto byRamon Llorens DSO-PB

March 2019March 2019VolumeVolume 19IssueIssue 0303

March 2019Volume 19Issue 03

Editor: Ramon Llorens, Jr. DSO-PB ditor: Ramon Llorens, Jr. DSO-PB 11- 04, 04, 8EREREditor: Ramon Llorens, Jr. DSO-PB 11- 04, 8ER

over us. Couple that with the incredible response to the string of unprecedented hurricanes we experienced over the last couple of years, In my view, The Coast Guard as a Brand is stronger than ever.

Some say “there is no such thing as bad publicity” while others in the ad business say “you can’t buy an ad on the cover of the New York Times”.

I don’t know if the Coast Guard made any covers, but the plight of the Coast Guard personnel and their families going withoutpay was “blowing up” on social media. It was all the buzz on the tabloid shows, the evening news and the Sunday morningtalks. I like to think I had a hand in that, sharing as many positive stories as I could on my social media pages.

Nothing makes a statement quite like a 47 foot boat climbing a 60 foot wave with a little blurb about, yet another daring rescue,or a bright orange helicopter with a group of Coasties making their Christmas deliveries,including Santa not knowing when their next paycheck will arrive.

By Ramon Llorens, Jr. DSO-PB

From the Editor

Page 1

Although we were delayedin having our Change of Watch and we missed the Nashville Boat Show, I have to say there may be a silver lining to the recent Government Shut Down cloud that hung

boating safety classessat 23 mar. 0800 - 1500

sat 13 apr. 0800 - 1500Hosted and taught by members of Flotilla 11-05, these classes will be held at: The Boat Locker, 4010 Sells Drive, Nashville TN Contact: Patrick Brown, FC for details

Phone/text -(615) 601-1270Email - pbrown@cgauxiliary.net

next flotilla business meeting and fellowship time mon. 18 march,1900Paul B. Huff Army Reserve Center3598 Bell Road Nashville, TN 37214Contact person: Ramon Llorens

Text-(615) 517-4901 Email - RamonLlJr@yahoo.com

2019 spring d-train in jeffersonville, in hosted by division 4march 21st thru the 23rdat the Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotelfor an exciting weekend of learning, fun, networking and fellowship! Attendees staying at the Sheraton must register for themselves before the deadline of 5:00 PM on March 6th. This deadline will likely be before travel orders are issued.

monthlycalendarof events

monthlycalendarof events

Cedar CreekClub PresentationBy Ramon Llorens, Jr. DSO-PB

Page 2Page 1

Mount Juliet, TN – The Cedar Creek Club Inc. held its change of leadership and business meeting on January 19th 2019.

Members of 082-11-04 were present to make a special presentation to the Club for their efforts in helping the Flotilla do the work that we do.

Flotilla members, Chad and Jessica Clark who own one of the boats we utilize are members of the club so we often launch from their facilities for weekend patrols. We also held our end of the season picnic at the clubs pavilion taking advantage of their catering services and pleasant surroundings.

To express our appreciation, we the mem-bers of Flotilla 082-11-04 gave The Cedar Creek Club a certifi cate last fall. The club members really appreciated the gesture and suggested we make the presentation again in front of the entire membership which we did.

Flotilla members Chad Clark and Jessica Clark were present as Division Commander, Buell Noteboom made the presentations. Newly elected Flotilla Commander Ramon Llorens, Jr. delivered this short speech to the membership:

“Good morning Commodore Ruck, Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Ramon Llorens Jr. Flotilla Commander of Flotilla 11-04 of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

First let me say on behalf of my fellow Auxiliarists, thank you for having us this morning, it is a pleasure to be here.

If you are not familiar with our organization, we are the uniformed auxiliary service of the United States Coast Guard since 1939.

Although I like to think the spirit of our organization goes back much further. Picture if you will, December 25th 1776, that famous painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware... (or you can look it up on your phone like the kids do). I can’t say it is historically correct, but, unpaid Minute Men with their own boats, sounds pretty much like the Auxiliary to me.

Fast forward to 1944 under the direction of Judge Byrd Douglas the fi rst Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla in Nashville was formed.

Its initial mission, to patrol the and pro-tect the ship building operations, rail lines, bridges and the DuPont manufacturing plant from saboteurs who woulddare ply the Cumberland River.

Ramon Llorens speaking to the members of The Cedar Creek Club, Inc. Photo by Deborah Varallo

Washington Crossing the Delaware - Emanuel Leutze

Page 3

Once World War II was over the Auxiliary’s primary mission was shifted to that of Recreational Boater Safety.

Under the direction of Commander Jack Kendle, who may well have been a memberof this club, the Auxiliary organized several regattas and boating safety classes for the few boaters and yachtsmen on the River.

But as you know in June of 1954, the en-tire landscape changed, literally! The fl ood gates were closed and Old Hickory Lake was formed ushering in a whole new era of recreational boating in Middle Tennessee.

Being forward thinkers, The Cedar Creek Yacht Club was already established. It was fascinating to see the construction photos on your walls capturing the waters rising to fi ll the harbor and the 22,500 acre lake before us.

Old Hickory Lake now boasts 8 marinas, 2 campgrounds, 41 boat access sites and a lot more boats! Recreational Boater Safety is still the Auxiliary’s number one mission.

My colleagues and I are here this morningto publicly thank you for aiding us in these endeavors.

Over the past boating season we launched multiple patrols from this location and look forward to many more. It is comforting to know that our vehicles are parked in a se-cure area while we are out on the lake and Cedar Creek is a strategic location for us to cover a large area of Old Hickory Lake.

So at this time Division Commander, Buell Noteboom would like to present you with a certifi cate of appreciation. And it reads:”

“From the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Coast

Guard Auxiliary, this certifi cate of appreciation is given to

The Cedar Creek Club for outstandingcooperation and assistance in furthering

the purposes and principles of The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.”

Thank You”

We learned a lot about the Cedar Creek Club in that short amount of time. One thing you might not know is they have a church on the grounds, another is theincredible amount of works and charitable giving the club does in and around their community throughout the year.

The members were especially gracious to us being in our uniform, for the governmentshutdown was still going on and many members expressed their concern for our families wellbeing.

The presentation was a success, but we weren’t fi nished quite yet. We had noticed on Memorial Day the club placed the fl ags of all of the branches of the armed services on the front gate. Four of them anyway, so we devised a plan to get them a Coast Guard Flag to match the rest. Commander Noteboom procured just the right fl ag and we presented that also as a gift to the club.

However, after the offi cial meeting was over, we learned that they actually did have a Coast Guard fl ag, but didn’t put it upbecause there would have been an odd number with 3 on one side of

Water rising to fi ll the Cedar Creek Yacht Club Harbor,Circa 1954. Photo Courtesy of Cedar Creek Club, Inc.

Excavation plans for the Cedar Creek Yacht Club Harbor,Circa 1954. Drawing Courtesy of Cedar Creek Club, Inc.

From the Editor Continued

Page 4

the gate and 2 on the other. Naturally they didn’t want to cut a fl ag in half to accom-modate the gates opening. Thinking quick-ly on our feet, we suggested they purchase a POW/MIA or Merchant Marine fl ag to bal-ance out the display.

All in all, it was a great morning, we were able to meet most of the members of the Cedar Creek Club. We shared a few sea stories over coffee and breakfast, they learned about the Auxiliary, who we are and what we do for the boating communi-ty. We learned about them and made some new friends and acquaintances. Of course we personally invited several of them to join the Auxiliary because that’s what we do. Then we began to make plans to visit again for Vessel Exams in the Spring.

Wait a minute, We don’t take a paycheck -Why aren’t we riding this wave of positivity ?

I can attest, while traveling to and from a couple of events while in uniform, I have been thanked for my service more than ever. I’ve been offered discounts and even a free meal. I of course thank them for their acknowledgement on behalf of all Active Duty, Reserve, Civilian Employees and Auxiliarists.

People are recognizing what the Coast Guard does and where the Coast Guard is present, and we are a part of that visual every time we put on a uniform. One of the quotes I picked up from a conference call a few days ago was:

“You are never out of Uniform” Once someone identifi es you as the Coast Guard that is a lasting image they may hold of you. So, we need to take that ball and run with it locally.

Remember we are here because we have a devotion to duty and a willingness to serve. That is what we ultimately want to be known for throughout Middle Tennessee, our Area of Responsibility.

We want to be perceived as the leaderswhen it comes to Recreational Boater Safety. That can only happen when we are out there doing the vessel exams, making program visits, teaching the classes, working the boat shows and in general being highly visible and approachable.

As an added bonus, since we don’t write tickets or do law enforcement, we get to be the friendly face of boater safety. We get to be the boating communities buddy. The best way to lead in this endeavor is to serve the community and provide sound advise and positive direction.

I found this quote that sumsit up, probably in adifferent way than the author intended.

“If Serving is Below youLeadership is Beyond You.”

Ramon Llorens and Buell Noteboom present a Coast Guard Flag to Commodore Herb Ruck. Photo by Deborah Varallo

Buell Noteboom Commodore Herb Ruck and Ramon Llorens with the certifi cate of appreciation. Photo by Deborah Varallo

Page 5

On the Water Front The Cumberland River Reaches Flood Levels By Ramon Llorens, Jr. DSO-PB

Nashville District Lock Masters, Circa 1938

Historic Nashville fl ood, Jan. 1937 the Cumberland River crested at 53 feet, measured at Old Lock #1

Flooding was triggered by Rainfalls extending across the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland River Valleys

NASHVILLE TENNESSEE –

Division Commander Buell Noteboom and I went to the site of Nashville’s Old Lock #1 to view the extent of the recent fl ooding on the Cumberland River. Old Lock #1 has become one of my favorite local parks for its views and its history. Constructed around 1891, this particular lock and dam was critical to the commerce of Nashville, insuring 6 feet or 1 fathom of navigable water almost year round. There were plans for 15 or more locks and dams to facilitate riverboat traffi c from New Orleans to Burnside Kentucky at the headwatersof the river.

Lock #1 unfortunately had an expiration date. Cheatham dam was completed in 1951 creating what is now Cheatham Lake, so the original dam was destroyed. The outer walls of the Lock were fi nally removed in 1958 because they presenteda hazard to navigation. What remains are some concrete slabs, the inner wall of the locks, a few cleats and my favoriteattraction, the stairs with a scale cast into the concrete to measure fl ood water levels.

In fact if you walk the grounds of what is now a Nashville City Park you will fi nd several square concrete posts with measurement lines molded into them.

I can’t say for sure that these stairs were poured in 1891, but there are many references to historic Nashville Floods and the measurements taken from this very sight.

Walking down those stairs, cracked and worn by 100 years of weather felt like walking into history, literally retracing the footsteps of the Lock Masters of old.

Page 6

Construction of Old Lock #1, Circa 1891, The near wall was back fi lled and is all that remains on site.

Above: DCDR Noteboom ascends the cragged concretestairs after ascending the river situation on the old gage

Right: Muddy water and debris on the stairs atthe forty foot mark casted into the concrete.

When we arrived on Sunday February 24th at 8:30 AM, the river had crested and actually began its slow decent back to its intended banks. There are multiple river gages above and below the city and a large visible gage which can be seen from the River Front Park, but it just isn’t the same, literally.

Measuring river level is a very complicatedprocess, the river is actually slanted which is why it fl ows in one direction. The Earth is round and gravitational forces play a role in the fl ow of water. Most of the numbers you will see posted are based on feet above sea level, which one has to refer to a chart or some local landmarks to know what that means in feet locally.

By offi cial accounts the water reached almost 41 feet, the stairway at #1 indicated roughly 40 feet. Although the waters were going down, there was no debris on the next step above the 40 foot step.

All right, so a staircase is obviously not as scientifi c as today’s GPS Locators and the water’s rise above Sea Level but it was interesting to see for ourselves and to stand where the Lock Masters and engineers of a bygone age would have monitored the rising water.

Another thing which is quite apparent, fl ood level is considered 40 feet for Nashville, the stairs measure to 58 feet, and the street level is easily 5 feet above that. So fl ood level on one part of the river can have a much greater impact than another.

The Army Corp. of Engineers said they were going to bring Cheatham Lake right to the edge of fl ood stage to accommodate all of the water coming in from its contributories and water being released from as far away as Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland. From where I stood, I would say they nailed it.

Bravo Zulu ! to those folks who worked day and night to regulate the water fl ow.

Page 7

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eet (1) 56.20 ft. on 01/01/1927

(2) 53.90 ft. on 01/26/1937(3) 52.55 ft. on 05/03/2010(4) 51.00 ft. on 03/30/1929(5) 49.90 ft. on 02/05/1918(6) 49.70 ft. on 02/18/1948(7) 48.90 ft. on 01/15/1946(8) 48.80 ft. on 02/11/1939(9) 48.60 ft. on 02/10/1950(10) 48.40 ft. on 01/14/1913(11) 48.20 ft. on 02/08/1932(12) 47.64 ft. on 03/15/1975(13) 47.30 ft. on 03/01/1962(14) 46.60 ft. on 04/08/1912(15) 46.50 ft. on 03/23/1955(16) 46.20 ft. on 04/04/1902(17) 45.80 ft. on 01/05/1943(18) 45.70 ft. on 03/10/1917(19) 45.30 ft. on 05/09/1984(20) 45.30 ft. on 01/08/1937(21) 45.10 ft. on 03/16/1922(22) 45.00 ft. on 02/21/1933(23) 44.90 ft. on 01/07/1919(24) 44.70 ft. on 02/23/1945

(25) 44.40 ft. on 03/02/1887(26) 44.00 ft. on 01/08/1924(27) 43.60 ft. on 03/31/1936(28) 43.00 ft. on 04/07/1896(29) 42.60 ft. on 01/11/1974(30) 42.40 ft. on 01/05/1916(31) 41.50 ft. on 12/31/1911

(32) 40.93 ft. on 02/24/2019 (33) 40.90 ft. on 02/04/1902(34) 39.53 ft. on 03/07/1989

One more bit of trivia. A few hundred yards from this place there is a historical marker for Heaton’s Station. The marker itself is even historical because it was the very fi rst of 3619 to be placed since the practice began in 1968. Believe it or not, Lock and Dam #1 do not have a marker of their own, but they are mentioned on the Heaton’s Station Marker. Heaton picked a great spot to settle in, there is a small creek and its on high ground.

I hope the city preserves what is left of the old lock and eventually improve the site, as it stands, there is no parking lot, no sign designating it as a public park and barely a place to turn your car around. Only a few local fi shermen and a handful of history buffs like myself seem to know about the place. I see no remnants of Heaton’s Station and the old lock keepershouse is gone as well. All that remains are the concrete and stone artifacts the demolition crew didn’t bother to remove in 1958. But old Lock #1 defi nitely has historic signifi cance to Nashville’s growth and it becoming what is now deemed the “It City”.