NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) — Construction of a long-awaited national museum that will honor the U.S. Coast Guard is about to begin.
A special keel-laying ceremony, a term typically used to celebrate the construction of a cutter, was held Friday at the museum’s waterfront site in New London, Connecticut, about 40 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island.
It comes after $50 million was included in the 2022 federal budget for the project, money that U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said has a “turbocharged build” of the 80-foot structure. 000 square feet.
The Coast Guard and Space Force are the only two branches of the US military without their own museums. A facility honoring the Coast Guard was first proposed in 2001, but the project has been delayed over the years, due to funding issues and other issues. The Coast Guard Academy is located in New London.
The new museum, which will include immersive and interactive exhibits, is set to open in 2024.
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“This museum will preserve and honor the heritage, traditions and history of the United States Coast Guard – and the service of the nation’s defenders and enforcers of the seas,” said U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.
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