On the July day in 1980 when Patricia Swope, now of Flotilla 6-2 in Huntington Harbour, joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Jimmy Carter was president and the Coast Guard was still struggling with the gargantuan Mariel Boatlift from Cuba. Nearly 45 years later, at a June 10 lunch her shipmates thanked Pat not only for her collegial longevity as an Auxiliarist, but for the quality and sheer quantity of her many contributions to Coast Guard missions.
At the lunch in Orange County, the District 11 operations training officer and acting director of Auxiliary, CWO3 Jared Esselman, recently presented Pat with the Coast Guard’s thanks for her 45 years of volunteer service — her ninth Membership Service Award, a rare accomplishment.
Pat, who just celebrated her 95th birthday, adds that certificate and service star to her impressive collection of awards and decorations. It includes 12 Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendations, an Auxiliary Achievement Award and an Award of Operational Merit. That’s just a fraction of the ribbons she has earned.
Perhaps more remarkably, for over 20 years she was closely associated with DIRAUX, District 11’s director of Auxiliary. As DIRAUX offices moved five times during Pat’s tenure (it’s now in Building 40 at Base Los Angeles / Long Beach in San Pedro), Pat stuck with the job and her long-time partners in DIRAUX, Judith Hall and Jo Pauloo.
Pat worked with such D11 directors of Auxiliary as Commanders Greg Matlin, DesaRae A. Janszen, Curtis Sumrok, Evelyn Lynn, Paige A. Keenan and of course now CDR Christina Jones.
“Pat taught me the true spirit and mission of the USCGAUX,” said John Doogan, commander of Flotilla 6-1. “Sometimes, in a painful way, she demanded things to be done the right way, by the book. I’m a good flotilla commander and an effective member of the USCGAUX for over 31 years, and much is due to what Pat instilled in me.”
As a member of the Past Division Commanders Association, Pat was also involved with coordinating District 11 training conferences and the annual Memorial Marker ceremony.
Desiree de Liser, a 15-year Auxiliarist and no stranger in the DIRAUX offices for the last 10, says “She was a hard task master. Pat and her husband Lyle owned two boat facilities and were boat crew qualified, coxswains, qualification examiner, examination proctors, and operations mentors. Pat was my boat crew recertification qualification examiner.”
Auxiliarist Emily Scholz recalled that after she retired in 2009, “…I was invited to attend ‘girl’s day out’ lunches with Pat Swope, Candy Tanner, Marilyn Winegar, Sandy Chavez and myself. We met once a month and went to various restaurants to have lunch and a delicious hot fudge sundae. We really enjoyed these lunches and we had some powerful discussions. The waitresses would tell us, “When I get old, I want to be like you.” (We’re not old!). Sometimes it was only Pat and myself meeting, which was even more fun.”
It’s not like Pat stuck to Orange County. Emily remembers Pat as a qualification examiner on Lake Perris in Riverside County. Others recalled her Coast Guard Reserve and active duty training missions to San Diego.
Desiree reported that Pat spoke to those gathered at the June 10 lunch, and that she was very touched and teary eyed. “She was very appreciative of the visit,” Desiree said.
Said Desiree: ”Bill Scholz told her, ‘You Pat are the glue — the reason that keeps us all together.’ ”
On July 23, 2025, she’ll have been at it for 45 years, with the thanks of her grateful shipmates.