Readers please note the following two corrections to dates that are published in the text of Ocean Station (Nor’easter Press, 2010) and that relate to the World War II–era stations.

1. “Fall 1942” transfer of operational control:

Transfer of operational control of the cutters that patrolled Stations 1 and 2 (weather observation stations) became effective with Operations Plan 1-43 of Commander Task Force 24 (CTF-24), dated 28 January 1943. The cutters thus operated as Task Group 24.5 (Weather Patrol Group).

(Source: Commander Task Force Twenty-Four, Ms. No. 139, United States Naval Administration in World War II. Commander in Chief, United States Atlantic Fleet, 1946.)

2. “April 1, 1944” station reorganization:

In June 1944, CTF-24 requested that the extant plane guard stations, which were designated by letter (Stations A, B, and C), be redesignated by number (i.e., as Stations 6, 7, and 8; following the numbering scheme of the five extant weather observation stations, Stations 1 to 5). On 21 October 1944, Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANT), authorized this reorganization.

(Source: Appendix B,  The Coast Guard at War; Weather Patrol, VII. U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Public Information Division, Washington, D.C., 1949.)

Ocean Station represents the first book-length treatment of the U.S. Coast Guard weather patrol — the story of Coast Guardsmen who “stayed out there and took it” to ensure the safety and the successful navigation of tens of thousands of commercial and military transoceanic flights. We commend the author for his extensive efforts in research and in writing of the manuscript, and we apologize to readers for the above-noted discrepancies in an otherwise remarkable and lively work.

The Publisher

January 2011