| English: Always Ready | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music cover, 1928 | |
Organizational anthem of the  United States Coast Guard | |
| Lyrics | Homer Smith and Walton Butterfield, 1943 |
| Music | Francis Saltus Van Boskerck, 1927 |
| Adopted | 1928; 98 years ago (1928)[1] |
| Audio sample | |
U.S. Coast Guard Band performing the march | |
"Semper Paratus" (Latin for "Always Ready") is the official song and march of theUnited States Coast Guard. It was composed by U.S. Coast Guard CaptainFrancis Saltus Van Boskerck in 1927. It made its debut in 1928.
Semper Paratus is the title of the song and is also the U.S. Coast Guard's officialmotto. The precise origin of the phrase is obscure, although the U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office notes the first use was by theNew Orleans Bee newspaper in 1836, in reference to the actions of theU.S. Revenue Cutter Service during theIngham incident.[2]
The originallyrics (seen below) were written byCaptain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck in 1922, at the cabin ofUSCGC Yamacraw inSavannah, Georgia; he wrote the music in 1927, on a "beat-up oldpiano" inUnalaska, Alaska.[2][3][4]
During the run ofA Girl in Every Port (1928 film) at the Fox Theater in Washington D.C., a detachment of 50Coast Guard officers appeared at the theater for the debut of "Semper Paratus", the official song of the U.S. Coast Guard. The officers appeared at each performance during the playing of the song.[5] Rear AdmiralFrederick Billard was the Coast Guard commandant at the time.
The currentverse, as well as a secondchorus, were written by Homer Smith,3rd Naval District Coast Guard quartet; Chief Cole; and Lieutenant Walton Butterfield in 1943. In 1969, the first line of the chorus was changed from “So here's the Coast Guard marching song, We sing on land and sea.” to “We're always ready for the call, We place our trust in Thee.”[6]
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Verse 3
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Media related toSemper Paratus (march) at Wikimedia Commons
