This item consists of a photograph of two new SPAR ensigns giving a dollar to the first enlisted man that salutes them. This is an old Coast Guard tradition after attaining a gold stripe on uniform sleeves.
The original caption states: “Following an old Coast Guard custom, two SPAR ensigns at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn., give a dollar to the first enlisted man that salutes them after they’ve attained a gold stripe on their sleeves. The girls have just completed their indoctrination course and have been sworn in as ensigns by Rear Admiral James Pine, Coast Guard Academy, superintendent. From left to right, they are: Robert D. Caskey, Jamaica, Long Island; Catherine E. Varlese, Kearney, N.J. and Ray Fraser, Brooklyn, N.Y. “
