Chester R. Bender served as the fourteenth Commandant

Commandant of the Coast Guard

The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...

 of the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 from 1970 to 1974. He also served as Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy from 1965 to 1967.

Early life and education

He was born in Burnsville, West Virginia

Burnsville, West Virginia

Burnsville is a town in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Little Kanawha River and Saltlick Creek. The population was 481 at the 2000 census...

 and later moved with his parents John I. Bender and Inez Harbert Bender, to Plant City, Florida

Plant City, Florida

Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 34,721 at the 2010 census....

 in 1925. In 1936, he became the first Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 resident to graduate from the United States Coast Guard Academy

United States Coast Guard Academy

Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies...

 in New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

. During his time at the Academy, he served on the boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 squad and as humor editor of the Academy yearbook. He served as gun captain during his senior year.

Career through World War II

Upon graduation from the Academy, he was commissioned as an Ensign, and was assigned as a line officer on the Coast Guard cutters USCGC Mendota and USCGC Bibb (WPG-31)

USCGC Bibb (WPG-31)

The USCGC Bibb was a Secretary-Class Coast Guard ship commissioned in 1936. Seven similar "combat cutters" were built and named for secretaries of the United States Treasury. The legendary Bibb was named for U.S. Secretary of the Treasury George M. Bibb.The ship saw service in World War II...

, on patrol in the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

. In 1938, he was transferred to the USCGC Ossipee (WPR-50)

USCGC Ossipee (WPR-50)

USCGC Ossipee was a United States Coast Guard cutter that saw service in both World War I and World War II.-Coastal Patrol:...

, on duty in the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

 region. During this tour of duty, he met and married Annamarie Ransom of Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan on September 1, 1939. Their marriage lasted until her death in 1992. They had one son, Mark A. Bender

That same year, he was selected for flight training and reported for duty at Naval Air Station Pensacola

Naval Air Station Pensacola

Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...

, Florida. A year later, he earned his aviator wings and was assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City

Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City

Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City is a United States Coast Guard air station located at Elizabeth City Regional Airport in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, along the Pasquotank River near the opening of the Albemarle Sound...

, North Carolina.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he flew anti-submarine patrols out of Elizabeth City. From June, 1943 to December, 1944, he commanded an air-rescue squadron based out of San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

. During the last few months of the war, he served as air-sea rescue

Air-sea rescue

Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...

 advisor and liaison officer for the Far East Air Force Headquarters, based in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, earning the Bronze Star

Bronze Star Medal

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

  for this service.

Mid-career assignments

In December, 1945, he was assigned to Coast Guard headquarters, as Executive Officer of the Air-Sea Rescue Agency. From 1946 to 1950, he served as personal aide and pilot to Commandant Joseph F. Farley

Joseph F. Farley

Joseph Francis Farley served as the ninth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1946 to 1949. He was also the first Coast Guard officer to be issued a service number and holds #1000 on the Coast Guard officer rolls....

.

From 1950 to 1953, he served as Executive Officer of the Coast Guard Air Station St. Petersburg

Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater

United States Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater is the United States Coast Guard's largest air station. It is located at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in Clearwater, Florida and is home to nearly 600 USCG aviation and support personnel...

, Florida, and in 1953 assumed command of the Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City

Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City

Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City was established in 1946 and is a part of the United States Coast Guard's Ninth District It is situated on the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan. Since 1995, Air Station Traverse City has controlled and manned Air Facilities throughout...

, Michigan. In 1955, he returned to Coast Guard headquarters, assuming command of the War Plans Division. Three years later in 1958, he was promoted to Captain and given command of the Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii.

In 1959, after two decades of aviation duty, he assumed command of the USCGC Bering Strait (WAVP-382)

USCGC Bering Strait (WAVP-382)

USCGC Bering Strait , later WHEC-382, was a Casco-class United States Coast Guard cutter in service from 1948 to 1971.-Construction and U.S. Navy service:...

, based out of Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

. From 1961 to 1964, he served as Mobilization and Readiness Officer for the San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

-based Western Area Command. From 1964 to 1965, he served as Commander of the Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

-based 9th Coast Guard District.

From 1965 to 1967, he served as Superintendent of the United States Coast Guard Academy

United States Coast Guard Academy

Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies...

. During his tenure, he established the U.S. Coast Guard Museum in order to preserve and display artifacts from early Coast Guard history.

From 1967 to 1970, he served as Commander of the San Francisco-based 12th Coast Guard District, where he was responsible for all Coast Guard operations in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

, Northern California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, and most of Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 and Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

.

Commandant of the Coast Guard

On April 16, 1970, he was nominated by President Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

 to replace Admiral Willard J. Smith

Willard J. Smith

Willard John Smith served as the thirteenth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1966 to 1970....

 as Commandant. Following Senate confirmation, he took office on June 1, 1970. During his tenure, he implemented the distinctive "Bender Blues" uniforms, designed to distinguish the Coast Guard from the Navy. In 1972, he was awarded the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

The Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Coast Guard that was created in August 1949 by order of the United States Congress. Prior to this date, members of the Coast Guard were eligible to receive the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.The Coast Guard...

.

As Commandant, Bender was known for his support of environmental protection and was recognized for his management of Coast Guard programs relating to new environmental responsibilities. In 1973, he served as delegate and alternate chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the Marine Pollution Conference of IMCO in 1973.

Later years

Following his retirement from the Coast Guard in 1974, he moved to Moraga, California

Moraga, California

Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...

. He died after a long illness and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

.