U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Santiago Gomez, from Public Affairs Detachment New York, partakes in the Freedom 250 Run during Sail 250 in New York, New York, July 7, 2026. Tall ships from around the world sailed from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the George Washington Bridge as part of Sail 250, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Santiago Gomez)
Rear Adm. Francis “Stash” Pelkowski is a veteran, merchant mariner, maritime industry business leader, licensed attorney and a professor at SUNY Maritime College. To say the 58-year-old father has accomplished a lot in life is a gross understatement. However, to hear him describe his early adult years leading to his enlistment in 1980, his present-day success and many achievements were far from predictable.
Thirty-eight years later,...
