GENTIAN WIX 290

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Cactus Class 180 foot Seagoing Buoy Tender Keel Laid October 3 1941 - Launched May 23 1942 USCGC GENTIAN WAGL-290 Commissioned November 3 1942 USCGC GENTIAN WLB-290 Redesignated (WLB) 1965 - Decommissioned September 2 1976 Recommissioned following SLEP July 27 1983 - Decommissioned May 1998 USCGC GENTIAN WIX-290 Recommissioned and Redesignated (WIX) September 27 1999 Decommissioned June 23 2006 ARC SAN ANDRES PO-45 (Colombian Naval Service) Transferred to the Colombian Navy October 15 2007

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. Covers Page 1     (1943-2006)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Date From to Date To	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning November 3 1942 to September 2 1976

 

Unused

N/A

N/A

WAGL-290. Homeport - Cape May NJ late 1943 to September 1956

 

Unused

N/A

N/A

WAGL-290. Homeport - Miami FL October 1956 to July 1960
"For Illustrative Purposes Only - Not A Real Envelope"

 

USPO Slogan Machine Cancel Galveston TX

1962-10-15

N/A

WAGL-290. Homeport - Galveston TX July 1960 to September 1976

 

USPS Machine Cancel Galveston TX

1967-05-31

N/A

WLB-290. Homeport - Galveston TX July 1960 to September 1976

 

USPS Machine Cancel Galveston TX

1973-04-16

N/A

WLB-290. Homeport - Galveston TX July 1960 to September 1976
Serviced by Joseph E. Hogan

 

USPS Machine Cancel Galveston TX

1974-08-13

N/A

WLB-290. Homeport - Galveston TX July 1960 to September 1976
Add-on cachet by Michael Hebert (Mh cachets)

 

USPS Machine Cancel Galveston TX

1974-09-19

N/A

WLB-290. Homeport - Galveston TX July 1960 to September 1976
Serviced by Joseph E. Hogan

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2nd Commissioning July 27 1983 to May 1998

 

APO 4-bar APO Miami FL

1984-02-28

N/A

WLB-290. Homeport - Atlantic Beach NC July 1983 to May 1988
Add-on cachet by Michael Hebert (Mh cachets)

 

USPS Slogan Machine Cancel Kinston NC

1985-01-10

N/A

WLB-290. Homeport - Atlantic Beach NC July 1983 to May 1988

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3rd Commissioning September 27 1999 to June 23 2006

 

USPS Slogan Machine Cancel Miami FL

2002-12-10

N/A

WIX-290. Homeport - Miami FL September 1999 to June 2006

 

USPS Slogan Machine Cancel Miami FL

2003-02-03

N/A

WIX-290. Homeport - Miami FL September 1999 to June 2006
First Day of Use of new Ship's cachet.

 

USPS Type 9 Miami FL

2003-02-13

N/A

WIX-290. Homeport - Miami FL September 1999 to June 2006
"Caribbean Support Tender" cachet.

 

USPS Type 9 Miami FL

2003-02-13

N/A

WIX-290. Homeport - Miami FL September 1999 to June 2006
Sticker cachet of Cutter's Crest.

 

USPS Type 9 Miami, FL

2006-06-23

WIX-290. Decommissioning after 64 Years of Service, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

USCGC GENTIAN earned the following awards during her lengthy CG career - Four National Defense Medals, the World War II Campaign Ribbon, the World War II Victory Ribbon, three Coast Guard Unit Commendations, a Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Coast Guard Bicentennial Commendation and the Coast Guard Humanitarian Service Medal.

NAMESAKE - Any of numerous plants of the genus Gentiana, characteristically having showy, variously colored flowers; The dried rhizome and roots of a yellow-flowered European gentian, G. lutea, sometimes used as a tonic.

 

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