CAPE MAY — A swastika was found drawn on a wall in the bathroom at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center on Feb. 19.
A Coast Guard spokesperson said in a statement that following the discovery of the hate symbol, it was removed and immediately referred to the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
“The Coast Guard has always unequivocally condemned and punished the display of hate symbols or imagery associated with intimidation, hatred or oppression. Such conduct is incompatible with our core values and has absolutely no place within our service,” the statement said. “We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is safe, professional and respectful for every member of our workforce.”
The spokesperson said any behavior that undermines those standards will be addressed swiftly and seriously.
Following the incident, USCG Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday traveled to the training center and held a mandatory all-hands meeting with the nearly 900 recruits and staff. He addressed the incident directly to reinforce the Coast Guard’s standards and policies and to reaffirm the service’s dedication to accountability through its core values.
“Anyone who adheres to or advances hate or extremist ideology — get out. Leave,” Lundy said. “You don’t belong in the United States Coast Guard and we reject you. We will not allow anyone to put a strain of hate on our United States Coast Guard. We will not be defined by the cowardly acts but instead be defined by our unwavering response and our resolve to defeat them.”
Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock, in a social media post, condemned the drawing of the swastika as deeply disturbing and unacceptable.
“My grandfathers both fought the Nazis in World War II, and my grandmother’s home in London was bombed during the blitz,” Mullock wrote. “For my family, and for millions of Americans, this symbol represents a regime responsible for the murder of 6 million Jews and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American service members who gave their lives to defeat it.”
Mullock commended the Coast Guard for its swift rebuke of the matter.
“Words matter, leadership matters,” he said. “Hate must be met with strength of conviction and moral clarity from our leaders.”
Mullock added that the broader context was troubling.
“Just months ago, the Coast Guard reportedly changed how it classifies ‘hate incidents,’” he said. “Recasting symbols like swastikas and nooses as merely ‘potentially divisive.’”
He is referencing a memo issued by the Coast Guard last November that reclassified swastikas and nooses from “hate symbols” to “potentially divisive.” The policy had been set to take effect in December, but following heavy criticism, it was reversed.
An updated policy on the Coast Guard website said it prohibits the display, distribution or use of divisive or hate symbols and flags, including those identified with oppression or hatred.
The policy defines a prohibited symbol or flag as one that reflects hate if its display adversely affects good order and discipline, unit cohesion, command climate, morale, or mission effectiveness.
Symbols and flags include, but are not limited to, a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups as representations of white supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, antisemitism, or any other improper bias.
The swastika symbol dates back thousands of years, previously being used as a symbol of good fortune before becoming synonymous with Nazi oppression in Europe during World War II.
According to EBSCO Information Services, the German Nazi Party appropriated the symbol in the 1930s and transformed it into a symbol of Aryan supremacy and racial hatred. The swastika is associated with fascism and antisemitism.
In 2025, the FBI reported that nearly 70 percent of U.S. religion-based hate crimes target Jews. Anti-Jewish hate crimes in the U.S. reached record levels in 2024.
The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) published a new national survey, finding that “two-thirds of Americans believe political leaders’ failure to condemn violent rhetoric contributes a lot to violent actions in society.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
