Newport Rhode Island Navy Sailor USS Constitution 1911 Real Photo Postcard

The U.S. Coast Guard, established in 1915 through the consolidation of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service, represents a unique branch of the armed forces with both military and law enforcement responsibilities. Enlisted sailors wore a distinctive uniform influenced by naval tradition, including the flat hat with a tally band displaying the service name, a jumper top, and bell-bottom trousers, largely consistent throughout the early to mid-20th century.