Semper Paratus: The U.S. Coast Guard Anthem

Each of our military branches has its anthem, the song that every member of that service memorizes, that appeals to the character and the values of that service. Like the National Anthem, most of us remember the chorus verse or the first verse of our service anthem, but few know the rest of the verses. The video here is a fancy rendition of the United States Coast Guard Anthem. Below are the words to that anthem:

“So here’s the Coast Guard marching song,
We sing on land and on sea,
Through surf and storm, and howling gale
High shall our purpose be
In times of war and peace,
Showing how to fight.
‘Semper Paratus’ is our guide,
Our fame and glory too;
To fight, to save, or fight and die,
Aye, Coast Guard
we are for you.
From Aztec shores to Arctic Zone
To Europe and Far East
The flag is carried by our ships,
In times of war and peace,
And never have we struck it yet,
In spite of foeman’s might
Who cheered our crews and cheered
Again for showing how to fight;
Aye, we’ve been “always ready”
To do, to fight, or die,
Write glory to the shield we wear,
In letters to the sky.
To sink the foe or save the maimed
Our mission and our pride,
We’ll carry on to kingdom come,
Ideals for which we’ve died.”

Just as all of the other service anthems are, the Coast Guard anthem is filled with the ideals of Coast Guard service and with remembered details of their history. The Coast Guard is one of our great military services and has a history that is full of service to the nation in both peacetime and war.

Coast Guardsmen and women, like the members of all of our military services, are duly proud of their branch. Their history is rich and deep, and their current mission is as diverse and as important to the safety and security of the nation as it has ever been. They are, as their anthem and motto proclaims, “Semper Paratus!” “Always Ready” to serve, to save, or to fight and die for us all.

Enjoy this rather sophisticated version of the Coast Guard Anthem. Generally, when we sing our service anthems, we usually don’t sound this high fallutin’, but we sing them with lusty voices, sometimes a bit off tune, but with the pride of being a part of something noble, good, and greater than ourselves.

Semper Paratus, Coasties!