COAST GUARD CUTTER OAK LAUNCHING

MARINETTE, Wis. (Jan. 26)--The Coast Guard Cutter Oak (WLB 211) hits the icy waters of the Great Lakes for the first time. The cutter is the 11th of the Juniper Class Seagoing Buoy Tenders to be launched at the Marinette Marine Facility in Marinette, Wis. The Oak was launched on Jan. 26, 2002. The wife of U.S. Representative Henry Brown of South Carolina was the ship's sponsor. Cutter Oak will replace the Cutter Madronna in Charleston, S.C. sometime in the late fall of 2002. Eight of the planned 16 Juniper Class cutters are already in service through out the Coast Guard. USCG photo by PA2 Paul Roszkowski