Mark Fluet was on the mess deck of the United states Coast Guard Cutter
Morgenthau, awaiting another long Alaskan Patrol. What he noticed, as
well as a lot of the crew, was the skies were not Gray, they were blue,
and the water was beautiful.
The crew started to notice that they were heading in the opposite direction. Mark R. Fluet reported to the engine room for duty and asked the Engineering Officer, but of course he was not told anything.
Well around chow time that evening, a broadcast came over the radio, it was commander Kyle that informed the entire ships company that they were chasing a Taiwanese fishing vessel for catching chum salmon illegally.
The Morgenthau came up on the boat fast, but to Mark's surprise as well as the entire crew the Executive Officer ordered the helmsman to circle around the ships.
Now You know that a 378 foot high endurance cutter is no small boat but that did not stop the crew from following orders. What happened next was the Taiwanese vessel made a run for it. Now the diplomats sure do not get anything done fast, and the Captain followed protocol.
The Captain radioed Pacific Command and they notified the President, at that time it was George Herman Walker Bush. That diplomatic red tape lasted approximately 4 weeks.
During that time the United states Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau was in pursuit and out of the United States. They followed them through the fog banks, it was easy to stay behind them even if they could not see them the motor on the Taiwanese vessel was so loud it always told them where they were.
After almost four weeks of pursuit, the Captain got the orders to go ahead and stop the boat to board it, oh but there was one condition to this story all you folks out there. The Coast guard Cutter Morgenthau will do a joint boarding with the Japanese Coast guard, and the entire batch of fish will be confiscated and turned over to the Taiwanese Government.
The crew started to notice that they were heading in the opposite direction. Mark R. Fluet reported to the engine room for duty and asked the Engineering Officer, but of course he was not told anything.
Well around chow time that evening, a broadcast came over the radio, it was commander Kyle that informed the entire ships company that they were chasing a Taiwanese fishing vessel for catching chum salmon illegally.
The Morgenthau came up on the boat fast, but to Mark's surprise as well as the entire crew the Executive Officer ordered the helmsman to circle around the ships.
Now You know that a 378 foot high endurance cutter is no small boat but that did not stop the crew from following orders. What happened next was the Taiwanese vessel made a run for it. Now the diplomats sure do not get anything done fast, and the Captain followed protocol.
The Captain radioed Pacific Command and they notified the President, at that time it was George Herman Walker Bush. That diplomatic red tape lasted approximately 4 weeks.
During that time the United states Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau was in pursuit and out of the United States. They followed them through the fog banks, it was easy to stay behind them even if they could not see them the motor on the Taiwanese vessel was so loud it always told them where they were.
After almost four weeks of pursuit, the Captain got the orders to go ahead and stop the boat to board it, oh but there was one condition to this story all you folks out there. The Coast guard Cutter Morgenthau will do a joint boarding with the Japanese Coast guard, and the entire batch of fish will be confiscated and turned over to the Taiwanese Government.
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