USCGC Paul Clark

USCGC Paul Clark is the sixth cutter. Like the previous five vessels of her class she is homeported in Miami, Florida. She was delivered to the Coast Guard, for testing, on May 18, 2013.

Operational history

On September 13, 2013 the vessel repatriated 66 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas. Four migrant boats had been intercepted by small Coast Guard vessels in four separate operations over the preceding days. Their passengers and crew were transferred to the larger Paul Clark for repatriation to Cuba.
"Our main concern is the safety of life at sea...Attempting to cross the Florida Straits in a homemade raft or vessel is inherently dangerous" explained Coast Guard Captain Mark Fedor.

Namesake

The vessel is named after Paul Leaman Clark, who served as a fireman in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.
Clark was a landing boat engineer attached to during the allied assault on a beach in French Morocco when the craft's two other crew members were wounded by a Luftwaffe fighter. Clark took command of the craft, took the wounded crew members to for medical care and then returned to his duties as a beachmaster, directing disembarkation activity. For his courage he was awarded the Navy Cross.