Storis the Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast

In honor of the upcoming commissioning of the new U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis in Juneau,  the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum will host a free screening of the documentary film STORIS: The Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast with filmmaker (and Alaska State Library archivist) Damon Stuebner.

From the fjords of Greenland to the fabled Northwest Passage to the stormy waters of the Bering Sea, this 100-minute documentary chronicles the 64-year history of the original USCGC Storis and examines the roles the ship played during World War II, the Cold War, and in Alaskan history. 

Commissioned in 1942 for World War II, the Storis is the only ship of its design and class. It became the first U.S. ship to sail the Northwest Passage, participated in dramatic search and rescues cases, and conducted major fisheries law enforcement operations, earning it the title “the Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast”.

Storis also provided relief after the 1964 Earthquake, conducted icebreaking for the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and served as a command ship for the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

In 1991, Storis became the oldest commissioned cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard, earning it another title, “Queen of the Fleet”. 

Storis was decommissioned in 2007 in Kodiak.

Please join us at the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum for a unique aspect of Alaska’s military and maritime history with a free showing of STORIS: The Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast.