Coast Guard blood in his veins

Paul Clinton

For Executive Officer Chuck Lindsey, the Coast Guard was an easy

career choice.

Lindsey, the second in command on the cutter Narwhal, grew up with a

father who served in the Coast Guard.

Even though he lived in Thousands Oaks, the sea was never far. The

29-year-old Lindsey said he has always been drawn to it.

“Being on the water was the first thing that drew me to it,” Lindsey

said about his Coast Guard service. “We’re the premier law enforcement

agency. That was another thing.”

Lindsey has been stationed at the Coast Guard’s Corona del Mar sea

base since 1999, when he was reassigned from Alaska to the Point Stuart.

Last September, the crew brought a new ship to Newport Harbor -- the

Narwhal. After a 41-day journey from Louisiana -- with stops in Costa

Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama -- the Narwhal landed in

Corona del Mar.

The ship’s commander, Lt. John Kidwell, and the crew have been working

chiefly at the Port of Los Angeles escorting cruise liners and other

foreign ships.

The current laser-like focus on national security matters was

triggered by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and the

Pentagon, Lindsey said.

The attacks also brought about increased support from Newport Beach of

the Narwhal and its crew, Lindsey said.

“Since Sept. 11, we’ve been seeing a huge support level for the local

community,” Lindsey said. “We have got numerous people coming down here

on weekends.”

As Kidwell’s right-hand man, Lindsey oversees much of the duties of

the Narwhal’s crew and its day-to-day operations.

Prior to being stationed on the Narwhal, an assignment that was just

extended for another two years, Lindsey was stationed in Los Angeles, the

San Francisco Bay area and Alaska.

Being stationed at the Narwhal gives Lindsey the chance to live in

Orange County. For him, it’s a plum assignment. He lives in Rancho

Margarita with wife Denina and two children.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .