Remembering Arnold Palmer

When golfing legend Arnold Palmer died on September 25, he left a lesser known legacy in the boating world too.

Palmer enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1950 as a Yeoman and continued to serve until 1953. His attention then turned to professional golf. Palmer was the first golfer to win the Masters Tournament four times and is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s professional golf, winning 92 tournaments during his career.

He always cherished his Coast Guard service, and his commitment to the Coast Guard continued throughout his life. In 2014, Palmer joined the National Coast Guard Museum Association, Inc. as an honorary chair.

In his chair role, Palmer was instrumental in working with the Association’s executive committee and board members to establish the country’s first-ever National Coast Guard Museum in New London, Connecticut to honor the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of his fellow US Coast Guard men and women.

In the Spring of 2015, Palmer hosted an exclusive National Coast Guard Museum event at his Bay Hill Resort in Orlando, Florida and encouraged others to generously donate to the building of the National Coast Guard Museum.

“We are saddened to mourn the loss of one of our greatest supporters,” said Richard Grahn, President and CEO of the National Coast Guard Museum Association, Inc. “We express our condolences to his wife and family and express our deep gratitude for his steadfast leadership and support of our mission to build the National Coast Guard Museum. Our shipmate has crossed the bar.”

The National CG Museum Association, Inc. – a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Charitable Organization – was formed to raise funds and apply for and administer federal and state grants for the purpose of acquiring land, designing, constructing, developing exhibits and turning over to the US Coast Guard a national museum in the City of New London, Connecticut. For more information: www.CoastGuardMuseum.org.