WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled during a ceremony Thursday to name its headquarters-based training center in honor of the first African-American woman to enlist in the service.
Dr. Olivia J. Hooker joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1945 as part of the World War II Women's Reserve, whose members were called SPARs for "Semper Paratus, Always Ready." Hooker was honorably discharged in 1946 as a petty officer second class after the SPAR program disbanded.
What: Naming ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
Where: Lobby of Training Center, Lower Level Seven, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2703 Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave., SE, Washington, D.C., 20593-7103
When: Thursday at 10 a.m.
Who: Dr. Olivia J. Hooker, guest of honor; Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Paul F. Zukunft; Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Peter V. Neffenger; and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Steven W. Cantrell.
Hooker will be available for media interviews immediately after the ceremony.
To ensure credentialing and access to the St. Elizabeths campus, all interested media should contact the Media Relations Branch at (202) 372-4630 by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
There will be parking available at the campus. Additional information will be provided following the RSVP.
For media members using public transportation, take Metrorail to the Anacostia Metro Station (Green Line), the closest station to the St. Elizabeths Campus. Once there, take the Coast Guard Headquarters Metrobus (A4) shuttle to the campus. The shuttle runs every five minutes and regular Metrobus fare will be charged.