Official Recognition

By October 1928—one year before the stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression—the Boston Unit of the Coast Guard Chief Warrant and Warrant Officers’ Association had grown to at least 65 members.

By that time, the Association had received official recognition from Coast Guard leadership. A news item published on page 41 of the October 1928 issue of Coast Guard Magazine reported that the organization had been formally acknowledged.
In a letter from Rear Admiral Frederick C. Billard, then Commandant of the Coast Guard, he wrote:
“This office has no objection to the organization of an association intended for the purposes described, with the understanding that the activities of such association shall not be directed along lines that may be contrary to the policies of Headquarters.”
This endorsement provided legitimacy and reassurance to members who had previously been cautious about participating.
It is important to note that this was not the first instance of warrant officers organizing. Several service-related groups already existed. For example, in October 1928, an organization of Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers of Coast Guard Stations in the Tenth District, headquartered in Grand Haven, Michigan, was active. That organization had established bylaws, elected officers, and conducted regular business meetings, often followed by social gatherings at local hotels or meeting venues.
The U.S. Navy maintained a similar organization known as CHANWOS (Chief and Warrant Officers). Formed to “look after the interests, legislative and otherwise, of the Navy Chief Warrant and Warrant Officers,” CHANWOS operated during the same period as the early development of the Coast Guard Association.
Official recognition by the Commandant, combined with the growing number of local clubs and parallel efforts in other services, marked a significant step toward establishing a unified and enduring national organization for Coast Guard warrant officers.