PORT TOWNSEND — Coast Guard rescue missions in Alaska will be the topic of the Jefferson County Historical Society First Friday Lecture this week.
Capt. Jeffrey Hartman, who is retired from the Coast Guard and is the author of Guarding Alaska: A Memoir of Coast Guard Missions on the Last Frontier, will speak at 7 p.m. Friday in Port Townsend City Council chambers at City Hall, 540 Water St.
Admission is by donation which supports the historical society.
In the book, Hartman outlines the history of Alaska and describes his experiences overseeing a number of rescue missions there, explaining the challenges and dangers the Coast Guard faces in carrying out its missions.
Search and rescue
He flew helicopters from icebreakers and managed the search and rescue program on Alaska’s waters.
Hartman retired after 33 years with the Coast Guard. He also worked for the Alaska State Department of Natural Resources and was executive director of the Soil and Water Board.
He holds master’s degrees from the University of West Florida and the University of Alaska southeast.
Other upcoming First Friday Lectures will be Gloria Lung Wakayama with “The Chinese Community in Port Townsend” on March 7 and Jessica Plumb, producer and chief editor of “Return of the River,” on April 4.
