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“An abundance of caution - semper paratus, like the Coast Guard motto that means ‘always ready’,” she said, pointing to her car’s license plate holder emblazoned with the saying.

Many people know the official Coast Guard motto: “Semper paratus,” meaning “Always prepared.”

The Coast Guard’s motto is semper paratus, always ready, but in 1941 peace-loving America was minime paratus, very little prepared, even though Europe had been at war for over two years and Japan for more than four.

The Coast Guard had SPARs; the name took the initials of the Coast Guard’s Latin motto Semper Paratus and the first letters of its English translation: Always Ready.

The service’s crest and motto of semper paratus — “always ready” — is tattooed on his right arm, and his left arm sports a dragon, the symbol of his motorcycle club.