VADM Howie B. THORSEN, USCG (Ret)
Golden Eagle
 

Gentlemen,
 
It is my sad duty to report that on Tuesday 5 May 2026, Golden Eagle VADM Howie THORSEN, USCG (Ret), made his Last Take Off quietly in his sleep at his residence in Sarasota, Florida.
 
Howie was born in York, North Dakota on 1 November 1933. He was raised in Brainerd, Minnesota until graduating from Washington High School in May 1951. He departed the following month to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in May 1955.
 
Howie’s first assignment was on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham out of Norfolk, Virginia. His duty assignment was as a Deck Watch Officer and Gunnery Officer while frequently deploying for Ocean Station duties in the North Atlantic, plus training in Norfolk and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba throughout 1955 and 1957.
 
Vice Admiral THORSEN next attended U.S. Navy Flight Training at NAS Pensacola, Florida and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, receiving his “Wings of Gold” in August 1958. He was recognized as the Outstanding Coast Guard Student Pilot in the U.S. Naval Air Training Command for 1958.
 
Howie’s operational aviation career began with three years in Argentia, Newfoundland, flying search and rescue missions and operating as the aviation component of International Ice Patrol. Subsequent aviation assignments included Air Stations San Diego, Los Angeles, Brooklyn and Corpus Christi where he served as Commanding Officer from 1975 to 1976.
 
Vice Admiral THORSEN was a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1977. His non-flying assignments included serving two tours in CGHQ in the Aeronautical Engineering Division. During the latter of the two (1977–’80) he was Chief of the Division where he headed a small group of aviators to identify the service-wide replacement for the Sikorsky HH-52 Seaguard short range helicopters. His efforts and leadership lead to contract approval and ultimately production of 96 Aerospatiale/Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin helicopters, which have served admirably in myriad missions since 1983. And subsequently, from 1980 to 1983 Howie served as Commandant of Cadets at the Coast Guard Academy.
 
In 1983 Captain THORSEN was Chief of Staff, 5th CG District and was selected for Flag rank in 1984. When promoted, he became the first Coast Guard Commodore since WWII when the rank was re-instituted for a short period of time for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. As Commodore (COMO) and then Rear Admiral (Lower Half) (RDML), he was assigned as Chief of Research and Development at Coast Guard Headquarters.
 
In 1986, RDML THORSEN donned his second star and was assigned to command the 7th District, headquartered in Miami, Florida and served as Coordinator Southeast Region, National Narcotics Border Interdiction System. There he had operational responsibility for all Coast Guard activity in the southeast United States and Caribbean Area. After two years in Florida, Rear Admiral THORSEN was ordered back to Coast Guard Headquarters as Chief of Law Enforcement and Defense Operations.
 
In March 1989, he was promoted to Vice Admiral and assigned as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area and Commander, U.S. Atlantic Maritime Defense Zone (a U.S. Navy command) – with responsibility for all Coast Guard operations in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of America, Great Lakes and Western Rivers (territory east of the Rocky Mountains), plus international activities between the North and South Poles while extending to the Middle East. VADM THORSEN retired from the USCG in 1991 after 36 years of active service.
 
VADM THORSEN was Coast Guard Aviator #776, Coast Guard Helo Pilot #442 and Ancient Albatross #13 (longest serving aviator.) He accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours, equally divided between rotary and fixed-wing operations.
 
His military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal (two), Legion of Merit (three), Meritorious Service Medal (four), plus an Air Medal for a single-pilot nighttime Sikorsky H-19G Chickasaw helicopter rescue of two men from an offshore rock formation off the coast of Mexico in 1963.
 
In 2003, Vice Admiral THORSEN became a proud member of The Golden Eagles. He was also inducted into the Coast Guard Aviation Association Hall of Honor in 2020, which he considered his crowning achievement.
 
By his own admission, the single most important event in his life was his marriage, the day after graduation in 1955, to Marlyn Nitsche of New London, Connecticut. They met while he was half-way through his academy education. They subsequently had two daughters and sons-in-law; Tracey & Douglas Brady and Sue & Jon Tingley. Sue & Jon had 3 children and 8 grandchildren whom Howie and Marlyn enjoyed completely.
 
After retirement from active duty, Vice Admiral THORSEN entered the business world, ultimately serving (consecutively) on the Boards of six foreign-owned U.S. corporations as an Outside Director. He remained active in issues related to the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Academy and was co-founder of The Foundation for Coast Guard History.
 
Funeral services and interment specifics will be provided via a subsequent Special Notice.
 
He will be missed.
 
In sadness,
Matt MOFFIT
Pilot