Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Gerlica, a member of Coast Guard Station Burlington, speaks about a memorable day when the station received a high number of search and rescue cases due to the frequent and abrupt storms that form on Lake Champlain, Jul. 9, 2020. The Coast Guard works alongside local agencies to support search and rescue missions stretching across the 120-mile long lake. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 1st Class Amber Howie)
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,...
