The Life-Saving Service was officially organized in 1878 under the Treasury Department and eventually had stations on all the coasts of the United States. The Life-Saving station personnel were not authorized uniforms until 1889. This regulation resulted in a stiff protest because uniforms were to be purchased out of their own salaries. In any case, the uniforms were not elaborate.
The regulations of 1899 for the Life-Saving Service prescribed the uniform most familiar from period photos. There were only two varieties, corresponding to the two uniformed ranks in the service. Each Life-Saving station was in the charge of a keeper, who supervised all operations, including his men, called surfmen. The number of these was equal to the number needed to man the largest boat at the station, about ten men. The men were ranked according to their experience, number one being the top surfman.
The keeper's uniform was dark-blue kersey or flannel. The coat was double-breasted with a rolling collar and five gilt buttons per breast. Two hip pockets were called for and two small gilt buttons on each plain cuff. A seven-button vest was worn and a pea-jacket pattern overcoat was authorized for heavy weather. The cap was dark blue cloth with the top slightly larger in diameter than the base. Above the black patent leather bill was the service emblem embroidered in gold. This was a ring buoy crossed by an oar and a boat hook, over which was U.S. and below which was L.S.S. also in gold. All buttons had the same ornament.
The surfmen wore a similar coat, but single-breasted and with four medium-size plain black buttons. A pleat two inches wide ran from each shoulder downward on front and back and a belt passed through the four pleats. On the right sleeve was the service emblem and on the left was the individual's seniority number, embroidered in white silk. The cap was the same as the keeper's, but with U.S. Life-Saving Service on the band instead of the ring buoy device. A sailor-style jumper and overalls were also authorized. All personnel were authorized a storm suit This was made of brown rubber cloth or cotton duck, with the name of the station on the breast. The southwester hat was black, with the name of the station in white letters with L.S.S. in an arch over the station name.
The Life-Saving Service was consolidated with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to form the Coast Guard, and resulted in the personnel adopting the Coast Guard uniform. The only exceptions to this were the substitution of olive drab for the white service uniform for warrant officer Keepers of Life Saving Stations. The buttons on this were dull finish bronze. Surfmen had an olive drab cotton duck summer uniform, also with bronze buttons. Chevrons and specialty marks were blue. The specialty mark retained a variety of the old service's ring buoy device - with crossed oars in lieu of the boat hook and oar combination.
The uniforms of the Coast Guard and its predecessor agencies almost always reflected their conservatism and sometimes their thriftiness. Each uniform was worn by men and women who served their country and provided safety and security on America's navigable waters.
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