USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391)

• Commissioned in 1944: USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) was launched and commissioned during World War II, serving as a 180-foot buoy tender for the United States Coast Guard. • Named After a Plant: The vessel was named "Blackthorn" after the hardy blackthorn shrub (Prunus spinosa), following the tradition of naming buoy tenders after trees and shrubs. • Homeports: Over its career, Blackthorn was homeported in various locations, including Galveston, Texas, and later Tampa, Florida. • Key Missions: Her primary mission was maintaining aids to navigation along the Gulf Coast, but she also took part in search-and-rescue and law enforcement operations. • 1978 Overhaul: Blackthorn underwent a major overhaul in Tampa, Florida, in 1978, which improved her systems but left her crew relatively inexperienced with the new configurations. • The 1980 Tragedy: On January 28, 1980, USCGC Blackthorn collided with the tanker SS Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, resulting in the sinking of Blackthorn and the loss of 23 crew members. • Heroic Rescue: Seaman Apprentice William Flores posthumously received the Coast Guard Medal for heroism after he helped save many shipmates by throwing life jackets to them and staying aboard to keep the locker open. • Largest Peacetime Loss: The Blackthorn disaster remains the worst peacetime loss of life in Coast Guard history. • Memorials: Numerous memorials have been dedicated to the Blackthorn and her crew, including a monument in St. Petersburg, Florida, and annual remembrance ceremonies. • Artificial Reef: The wreck of the Blackthorn was raised and later sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, where it now serves as an artificial reef and a site for divers.