BVA this week salutes the Coast Guard and blind and visually impaired Coast Guard veterans. Since August 4, 1790, the U.S. Coast Guard has kept the nation’s waterways safe, continuously playing a critical role in national security.

Although under slightly different names until 1915, this often-underrated branch of the military has patrolled the coasts for smugglers of all kinds, human traffickers, and international terrorists. As enemies of the country have become savvier technologically, the Coast Guard has developed its own sophisticated, effective technology to combat crimes on the water and at American ports. Click the button below for additional historical details and a brief Coast Guard video from military.com.