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The Aransas Pass has significantly influenced the economic development of the region. The natural waterway also has included treacherous navigational hazards. In 1878, the U. S. government addressed this situation when it established the first Aransas Life Saving Station on Mustang Island, at Cotter and Station Streets. The station served the regional waters for several decades, but was destroyed by wind and storm surge flooding during the 1919 hurricane. The Coast Guard on Mustang Island served out of an interim facility until 1925 when the second life saving station opened. Erosion of the second station's concrete foundation, combined with an increasing workload, resulted in the structure's replacement in 1976. In January 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed a Congressional act combining the Colonial era Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service (est. 1878) into the U. S. Coast Guard. In times of war, the Coast Guard joined the nation's military. During World War II, the primary lifesaving mission at Mustang Island grew to encompass the Ports, Waterways, Coastal Security mission that required the Coast Guard to watch for enemy naval activity. Roving Coastguardsmen and canine patrols monitored against incursion by enemy agents and saboteurs. In the early 21st century, the War on Terrorism altered the primary life saving orientation of the Coast Guard once again. The new mission structure required the Coast Guard to board vessels entering through the Aransas Pass to examine documentation and inspect cargoes. From the Port of Corpus Christi, U. S. military Sealift Command vessels carrying armored vehicles and other materials to theaters of war were escorted by armed Coast Guard crafts. As a result, the Coast Guard on Mustang Island continued to safeguard lives and provide security. (2008) |
