DaytonDailyNews.com

CENTERVILLE — The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is looking for a few good men and women.

The Auxiliary, which is the volunteer wing of the U.S. Coast Guard, has plenty of boats, said Loren Gannon, spokesman for Division 6 of the Auxiliary, but doesn't have enough people to put in them.

"The demand for our services to back up the Coast Guard and the need for our services on the state lakes has stretched the Auxiliary rather thin," Gannon said.

"Getting volunteers for any organization has become more difficult through the years," he added. "It's no different with us."

Part of the problem is location. A flotilla (defined as a small unit of boats) on the East Coast might contain 300 volunteers. Gannon's Flotilla 61 contains about 25. With duties involving patrol of several lakes and the Ohio River, the ranks are rather thin.

What they do

If you are unfamiliar with the Auxiliary, here's a capsulated look at its operations:

•Auxiliary positions are all voluntary.

•Nobody carries a firearm.

•Auxiliary members do no law enforcement. They are, however, "extra eyes" for the Coast Guard and state law enforcement agencies.

•Duties include: public education, vessel safety checks, safety patrols on lakes and rivers, assisting boaters in distress.

•Working with the Coast Guard and state watercraft agencies during special events and search and rescue operations.

"We have an outstanding relationship with the state parks and Division of Watercraft," Gannon said. "But (through budget cuts) their ranks have been thinned in recent years. So anything we can do to fill in for them is very much appreciated."

A 'water man'

Gannon, 80, was born and raised in St. Clair, Mich., in a "boating family."

"During the war (WW II), I worked as a deck hand on a ferry boat between Michigan and Canada," he recalled. "When winter came and the ice formed, I came off the water, but when spring arrived, I was back out on the water. You could say water has always been my thing."

Oddly enough, as a young man, Gannon didn't join the Navy, but instead enlisted in the Army infantry in 1950 and made it a career. He served in Korea and Vietnam and retired as a Lt. Colonel after 23 years.

His final assignment for the Army was working with the ROTC department at the University of Dayton. When he retired, he "moved across campus to join the history department." He continues to teach two classes. He has also worked for the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Ohio Historical Society.

When Gannon left the service, he bought a sailboat and took a boating class. That's when he decided to join the Auxiliary, more than 30 years ago.

Gannon went through the training and advanced to become flotilla commander.

"I thought it would be a fun thing to do and help play a role to keep boating safe," he said.

Getting involved

Who joins? "Boaters, people who love being out on the water," Gannon said.

Even people who aren't expert boaters are welcome aboard, so to speak, because the Auxiliary offers extensive training in such fields as navigation, communications, weather, search and rescue and general seamanship.

Flotillas usually meet monthly, but attendance is usually not mandatory. A member can be as involved as much as he or she wants to be.

There are about 34,000 Auxiliary volunteers nationwide. Some serve alongside active duty Coast Guardsmen during times of need.

Anyone interested in more information or signing up with the Auxiliary can contact Gannon at (937) 478-6807 or lgannonjr@who.rr.com; or Mary Clem at (937) 843-5146 or pmclem@bright.net