USCGC Balsam (LWB 62)

• Construction and Launch: USCGC Balsam (WLB-62) was built by the Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Company in Duluth, Minnesota, and launched on 14 March 1943. • World War II Service: Balsam served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, supporting the U.S. war effort by laying and maintaining navigational aids and performing search and rescue missions. • Role in Iwo Jima: The cutter played a vital role in the Iwo Jima campaign by establishing and maintaining aids to navigation, which were essential for the success of amphibious landings and naval operations. • Post-War Peacetime Duties: After World War II, Balsam was stationed in the Pacific and continued her mission of maintaining navigational aids, supporting commercial and military shipping in the region. • Alaska Operations: In the 1950s, Balsam was homeported in Alaska, where she serviced aids to navigation in some of the most challenging weather conditions in North America. • Vietnam War Service: The cutter was deployed to Vietnam as part of Operation Market Time, conducting coastal surveillance and interdiction patrols to prevent the flow of supplies to enemy forces. • Ship Class: Balsam was one of the 180-foot Seagoing Buoy Tenders (Cactus-class), a class of vessels designed for durability and versatility in open ocean conditions. • Decommissioning: Balsam was decommissioned from the U.S. Coast Guard on 31 March 1975 after more than three decades of service. • Philippine Service: After decommissioning, the cutter was transferred to the Republic of the Philippines, where she served as BRP Kalinga (AG-89) in the Philippine Navy. • Legacy: USCGC Balsam and her sister ships are remembered for their adaptability and crucial roles in wartime and peacetime, exemplifying the versatility of Coast Guard buoy tenders.