THE DEMISE OF MONSTER MAGGIE
By Alban Landry

Floyd Stormer’s true story about the most hated mascot on any ship in the Coast Guard is one of the better stories on this site. Here is another true story about Maggie told by Al Landry. He also clears up the mystery of what ever happened to her. I have talked to many of the crewmen of the Mackinaw of that era at the Mackinaw reunions and while everybody remembered her and talked about what a vile creature she was, nobody until now knew what finally happened to her. - Jack

The Exec did everything he could to get rid of Maggie. This happened when we were pulling out of CG Base Sault Ste. Marie and headed northbound for Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior. As usual, everyone was on board but her and we were at Special Sea Detail. When the XO saw her running thru the Base like all get-out, he ordered the brow pulled in immediately. We all stalled as long as we could but he got damn mad, so we pulled in the brow while she was still ashore. As far as he was concerned Maggie was stranded, left behind for good, for once and for all.

Maggie was a despised and cantankerous critter but she was no dummy. She turned and started running like the dickens again …….. away from the ship. We all figured she had found a boyfriend in town.

Oh no, Maggie was headed for the northern Soo lock! Sure enough, after the “Mac” got in the lock and rose to the top she jumped on to the ship! No dummy, her!!!!!

I do have an ending for the story. I had the privilege(?) or sad duty, depending how you look at it and felt about her, of taking Maggie to the vet in Milwaukee while we were tied up there. She was very ill and the vet put her to sleep peacefully. That must have been about the fall of '57.

Read Monster Maggie of The Mackinaw by Floyd Stormer