The Verduin family played an important role in the commercial fishing industry during Grand Haven's early years. In 1901, they commissioned the fishing tug H.J. Dornbos to be built at the Johnston Brothers Shipyard and started doing commercial fishing the next year. Claude served as Mayor of Grand Haven from 1952 to 1956, and at the same time he was Director of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce. In this interview, Claude and his son Bob discuss the history of the United States Coast Guard, the naming of Grand Haven as "Coast Guard City, USA," the local Coast Guard training camp, and the evolution of Grand Haven's annual Coast Guard Festival. They also reveal the astonishing history and final destination of the H.J. Dornbos.
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