The United States Coast Guard has closed down all CW operations. Here is the final message sent by station NMN from Chesapeake Virginia, at 0001Z on April 1, 1995.

CQ CQ CQ DE NMN NMN

  BT 
  0 010001Z APR 95
  FM COGARD CAMSLANT CHESAPEAKE VA/NMN
  TO ALL
  BT

USCG NOW CLOSING DOWN CONTINUOUS HF CW WATCH CEASING ALL MORSE CODE OPS IN THE HF BAND. AS WE CONCLUDE OUR WATCH WE WISH THE MARITIME COMMUNITY FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR TRADITION AND LONG STANDING SERVICE TO THE MARINER ON MORSE CODE BEGINNING IN 1901 WITH THE REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE EXPERIMENTING WITH WIRELESS AS A MEANS TO COMMUNICATE ON LAND AND SEA TO THE FIRST MORSE CODE RADIO INSTALLED ABOARD CUTTER GRANT IN 1903. OUR ORIG COMMS MISSION WAS TO RCV DISTRESS ALERTS. BUT SINCE 1901 THE CG HAS FAITHFULLY AND DILIGENTLY LISTENED FOR TRAFFIC RESPONDING TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CALLS FM MARINERS IN NEED OF ASSIST OR RPTG POSITION WX NAV OR SAFETY INFO. OVER THE YRS WE HAVE PROVIDED MARINERS WITH URGENT SAFETY AND NAV WARNINGS OVER HF CW AND RCVD VESSEL LOCATION UPDATES FOR THE AMVER SYS. WE WILL FEEL A SENSE OF LOSS WITH THE PASSING OF CW. THE NEED FOR OPERATORS WITH SENSITIVE EARS AND A FAST PRECISE KEY WILL BE REPLACED BY COMPUTERS MODEMS AND AUTO ALARMS. THE SPECIAL EMOTION AND EXCITEMENT ENJOYED BY CW OPERATORS CANNOT BE DUPLICATED AND THE CHILLING SOS SIGNAL WILL NEVER AGAIN BE RCVD BY A CG UNIT. BUT CW HAS RUN ITS COURSE AND NOW WE LOOK FWD TO SERVING YOU ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMM SYSTEMS VIA THE GMDSS. FM ALL CG TELECOMM SPECIALISTS WE BID YOU A 73. WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT. SIGNED CG CAMSLANT.

BT

DE NMN SK

Note About The Final Message

It was sent on 5870, 8470, 12718.5 and 16975 khz simultaneously. The message on 5870 khz was sent by tape. For all other frequencies, it was sent at 25 wpm by hand. A tape machine sent the message around 15 wpm and it was the last one to finish. There were minor errors in the message sent on 8470 khz as compared to the official copy. This was likely caused by the 200 or so observers who had their eyes on the lone CW operator, TC3 S. Morales. In spite of this, he did a wonderful job. When the last did and dah were sent, there was silence - and the realization of the end of an era.