Volunteer aviators help Coast Guard Auxiliary

Thursday, February 22, 2001
By TARA KANE
Staff Writer

To many, the Coast Guard is a low-profile branch of the U.S. military, crews in dark blue uniforms ready for action when a fishing boat is sinking or an icebound waterway needs clearing. Even more anonymous is the Coast Guard Auxiliary, a nationwide network of volunteers who assist the Coast Guard with backup services as a labor of love.

But tonight, a group from older auxiliaries in North Jersey — and some newcomers — will formally take the seafaring unit's image to new heights.

“These guys here just want to do what they really like — aviation,” explained Daryl Laxson, who will become commander of New Jersey's first Coast Guard Auxiliary unit devoted primarily to aviation.

The unit — known as a “flotilla” despite its airborne mission — is Air Station Caldwell, based at Caldwell Airport. At tonight's ceremony at The Brownstone in Paterson, the 17-person unit — many of them pilots who reside in Bergen, Passaic, and Morris counties — will receive their charter from the Coast Guard Auxiliary and dispel any notion that the organization works only on water.

“One of the best secrets the Coast Guard [Auxiliary] has is the aviation wing,” said Laxson, a Wayne resident. “Would you rather fly around in a plane or get seasick on a boat?”

Laxson, 65, is among the 34,000 men and women willing to give free time
to the Auxiliary. He once owned a chain of appliance stores and now works part time at a store in Pompton Lakes that he didn't sell off.

“I volunteer with many things,” said Mark Sherman, a 53-year-old Ridgewood surgeon who — along with seven others — will join the Auxiliary tonight when he receives his certificate for completing a six-month training course. “But volunteering to fly, to do something I love, that's the best you can get.”

Flotilla members will do more than offer a spare set of eagle eyes for the Coast Guard. For starters, they'll save the government money. Aerial patrols can cost the Coast Guard nearly $3,000 an hour, but an Auxiliary flotilla can fly them for about $100 an hour — mostly reimbursements for fuel and oil. The volunteers use their own planes. Additionally, pilots enter the organization with a flight license in tow — absolving the Auxiliary of the cost of lessons.

“The Auxiliary is becoming more and more important,” said flotilla member Frank Tangel, 71, of Mahwah, who oversees Auxiliary aviation operations in the tri-state area. “We save the Coast Guard a lot of money.” Volunteers also buy their own uniforms, which are nearly identical to the official navy blue jackets and jumper suits worn by the military. Rightfully so, said Laxson, since the Auxiliary does the same job.

“The only difference between us and them is that we wear silver and they wear gold,” said Laxson, pointing to a stripe on his perfectly pressed jacket. “Other than carry a gun, we get involved with everything the Coast Guard does.”

Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas operate primarily on water. That included this group, some of whose member were from a unit in Oakland. But some members, such as Laxson and Tangel, had pilot licenses and a vision: their own aviation unit.

“We didn't really want to be there,” said 67-year-old Vince Tannuzzelli of West Orange, a Navy veteran of the Korean War. “We thought, ‘Gee, if only we had our own group that did aviation.’ ”

Ken Kemner, who also came from the Oakland unit, shared the same dream. The chiropractor keeps Coast Guard Auxiliary certificates in his Little Falls office, and a flight scanner next to his desk — to listen to traffic at nearby Caldwell Airport.

“I enjoy this profession, but getting up in the air is hard to beat. It's a great thrill,” said Kemner, who at 40 is the youngest member of the bunch.

While members of Air Station Caldwell will spend most of their time in the air, they still must perform some marine tasks, which include service on an icebreaker to keep New Jersey and New York waterways clear. Search-and-rescue missions will be a primary mission. In the past, such operations were performed only by Flotilla 1207 in Brooklyn.

Cmdr. Edward Seebald, director of Coast Guard auxiliaries in the tri-state area, said he will be pleased to witness the expansion of the volunteer organization.

“Our district won our award recently for highest recruitment and retention in our volunteer organization,” Seebald said. Caldwell “is a shining example of this [growth].”

Laxson, along with most of the members, joined the Auxiliary after being recruited by the group in an adult education class that it offers. Laxson had taken the class because he wanted to share an evening activity with his wife. He signed up for boating, she for aerobics. As it happened, they ended up not really sharing time together. But for the retired Marine, the course led to a major change in life.

Such activities may seem like a lot of work for a group of men mostly in their 60s and 70s, but each member decides how much time to give. The only exception is for pilots, who must fly a minimum of 24 hours a year. However, not every member of the aviation flotilla is a pilot.

“On most missions, we need a pilot and observer, sometimes two on a search-and-rescue mission to look out both sides of the plane,” Tangel said.

To join — whether as a pilot or an observer — there is a six-month training period. Any 17-year-old citizen with no criminal record can sign up by contacting Laxson at (973) 942-1297 or the state Department of Transportation. Candidates can be male or female.

“We don't have any female members . . . yet,” Laxson said.

“But they're more than welcome to join!” added Iannuzzelli.

Staff Writer Tara Kane's e-mail address is kane@northjersey.com