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The Story of the U.S. Coast Guard and OSS in World War II
Guardian Spies
About the Research
MEB, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright 2007 - 2011
This research is based on primary source documentation provided by the OSS/USCG
veterans and their families, declassified archived information from the OSS Archive in
Washington, D.C., and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. To date
over 3000 declassified documents and photos have been acquired and digitized.

Key documents:

  • OSS Memo dated 03 September 1943. Subject: Coast Guardsmen; from Captain
    Carl O. Hoffman to Captain Ward Davis discussing the use of Coast Guard men for
    OSS Operations.

  • Personnel records for 120 Coastguardsmen attached to the OSS during WWII

  • Declassified Maritime Unit personnel rosters from Detachment 101, 404, and 505.

  • The Maritime Unit Arakan Diary also referred to as the "Burma War Diary" from the
    OSS Archive

  • The "Webster Group" Files

  • Original declassified flight logs from Detachment 404

  • Declassified correspondence between General Donovan and the Commandant of
    the United States Coast Guard

  • OSS West Coast Training Center "5 Week Training Course" Master Outline dated
    13 September 1944

  • Special Maritime Group #2 Training Schedule (26 April 1944)

  • Bronze Star Citation for LT Booth, MM 1/C Everett McDonald, Bosn' 2/c Jack Reeves,
    & Bosn' 2/c Gordon Thorigal for Meritorious Service with the OSS in CBI. Awarded 3
    October 1945

  • Declassified OSS Personnel Records


Master list of Coast Guard men from the O.S.S. Maritime Unit
during World War II:
It is important to note that this list is not all inclusive .  It only includes Coast Guard men
attached to the OSS.  Future updates will include all men attached to the OSS Maritime
Unit. Coast Guard men made up approximately 1/3 of the entire OSS Maritime Unit out of
a total of 226.  Although all services were included (Navy, Army, and Marines), it was the
special relationship between General Donovan, head of the OSS, and Admiral Waesche,
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, that allowed for so much Coast Guard support.  
Both Coast Guard files and declassified OSS Personnel files have been copied and
digitized for this research for most all of the men listed.  If you are a family member of one
of the men listed, and are interested in a copy of the file, please fill out the "Contact Us"
section on the web site.  Future updates will include a photo and short biography of each
man.

Maritime Unit Operational Swimmer Groups (O.S.G. Frogmen)
L Unit #2 (Initial Field Stage/supplemental cadre deployed to UK and the European
Theater of Operations 12 January 1944 – 22 June 1944:

BM3/c Orville W. Anderson, USCG
CWO Robert L. Butt, USCGR
BM1/c Harry D. Caylor, USCG
S 1/c Richard S. Kimbell, USCG (Bronze Star & Air Medal)
BM1/c Robert E. Radke, USCG

Operational Swimmer Group I trained in Coronado and the Bahamas and was later
assigned and integrated into the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team 10 in the
Pacific Theater July 1944 – July 1945:

ENS Arthur O. Garrett, USCGR (Silver Star)
BM1/c Rollo Beck, USCGR (Bronze Star)
BM1/c Robert K. Hobbs, USCGR (Bronze Star)
BM1/c William D. Hopper, USCGR (Bronze Star)
BM1/c Raymond K. Mulhern, USCGR (Bronze Star)
BM2/c Nicolaus Nikolenko, USCGR (Bronze Star)
MoMM1/c Robert K. Parker, USCGR (Bronze Star)
BM2/c Gordon K. Riser, USCGR (Bronze Star)
GM1/c Robert D. Scoles, USCGR (Bronze Star)

Operational Swimmer Group II trained in Coronado, the Bahamas, and Guantanamo
Bay and was deployed to Burma, Ceylon, and Kandy in the China, Burma, and India
Theater January 1944 – 15 April 1945.  O.S.G. II was attached to O.S.S. Detachment
101, 404, and 505.

LT John P. Booth, USCGR (Bronze Star/CO of O.S.G. II)
CPHM Herman Becker, USCG
COX John C. Carroll, USCGR (Bronze Star)
CBM James R. Eubank, USCGR
COX Donald W. Fulton, USCGR
RM1/c John H. Harrigan, USCGR
MoMM1/c Everett W. MacDonald, USCGR (Bronze Star)
CWO Thomas O. Medlicott, USCGR
BM2/c Gerald Puetz, USCGR
BM1/c Louis Pulgencio, USCGR
COX Jack Reeves, USCGR (Bronze Star)
COX Gordon P. Thorigal, USCGR (Bronze Star)
MoMM1/c George E. Webster, USCGR (Commandant’s Citation)
BM2/c Eugene M. Ward, USCGR
BM2/c Carl Spohn, USCGR


Operational Swimmer Group III was trained in the Bahamas and deployed to Ceylon
attached to O.S.S. Detachment 101 in SEAC from October 1944 – January 1945.

CWO Robert L. Butt, USCGR
S1/c Richard S. Kimball, USCG (Bronze Star & Air Medal)
BM3/c Orville Anderson, USCG
COX Bud Millen, USCG
BM2/c James Talmadge, USCGR
MoMM2/c Robert Talmadge, USCGR

O.S.S. Maritime Unit Special Operations (non-swimmers) attached to O.S.S.
Detachment 101, 404 & 505 in the China, Burma, India Theater:

BM2/c Arthur Babst, USCGR
BM1/c James B. Daniel, USCGR
BM2/c Dean C. Kimbell, USCGR
COX Wilbur T. Lee, USCGR
MoMM1/c William McPheat, USCGR (Air Medal)
BM2/c Lyman C. Wells, USCGR (Air Medal)
GM3/c Carlton F. Young, USCGR
BMC Eugene Nicolaisen, USCGR
BM1/c Robert Crisman, USCGR
BM2/c Joseph S. Finch, USCGR
BM1/c Leslie C. Guthrie, USCGR
GM3/c Richard H. Harstedt, USCGR
CWO Tugg Heimerll, USCG (ret)
BM1/c James J. Hogan, USCGR
BM1/c Kenneth A. Cathell, USCG (Silver Life Saving Medal)

O.S.S. Special Intelligence

YNC Ceaser Tarrallo, USCGR

O.S.S. West Coast Schools & Training
LCDR Howard Shelby USCG (CO of Boats and Crews)
CWO Wilfred Keil, USCG (XO of Boats and Crews)
CBM Charles T. Hotchkiss, USCG
EM1/c Richard L. Madden, USCGR
MoMM1/c Everett A. Monroe, USCGR
MoMM1/c Laurence K. Brooks, USCGR
MoMM2/c Ellis W. Taylor, USCGR
MoMM2/c Royal Dye, USCGR
MoMM2/c Russell F. Fawley, USCGR
EM2/c Harvey J. Smith, USCGR
EM2/c Edward L. Malloy, USCGR
MoMM3/c B.F. Engledow, USCGR
YN3/c A. A. Neudecker, USCGR
COX Donald W. Kruger, USCGR
COX Jerry S. Kuser, USCGR
MoMM2/c Merle Saunders, USCGR
CM3/c Joseph Thiele, USCGR
MoMM2/c Jay C. Hills, USCGR
S1/c Elmer Daniels, USCGR
COX William Fallis, USCGR
COX Thomas Hebel, USCGR
S1/c Edward Koch, USCGR
AS Curtis Ladi, USCGR
MoMM2/c Raymond Ogle, USCGR
S1/c Newall J. Patton, USCGR