Not Semper Fi… Semper Paratus!

Question #1: What is Semper Paratus?

Answer #1: Semper Paratus is Latin for Always Ready.

Question #2: What exactly do the Latin words have to do with these Key West school buses?

Answer #2: Absolutely nothing! They simply sleep here.

Look closer at the building behind the buses, you’ll see a faded United States Coast Guard emblem painted just below the word ‘Always’.

No one seems to know exactly how Semper Paratus was chosen as the Coast Gauard’s motto… but it was. Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck wrote the words to the Coast Guard song putting it to music five years later on a old broke down piano in Unalaska, Alaska. (that’s 100% true) What a coincidence, I wrote today’s blog just outside of Unflorida, Florida! (that’s 100% false)

You can find the Semper Paratus painted building at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West facility. To best view the building as seen here, turn on Trumbo Road on the east side of the immensely popular section of town called Harbor Walk. Drive down a few hundred feet to an unmarked road’s opened gate which is Ruth Alice Campbell Drive, turn right and again go down about one hundred feet and look to your left… there she be!

#duvalstreet #floridakeys #keywest #keywestflorida