USCGC Eagle led the 1976 Operation Sail parade into New York Harbor.
Eagle is a 295-foot barque used as a training cutter for future U.S. Coast Guard officers. During the American Bicentennial OpSail event, it served as the American representative in the parade and led the ships into New York Harbor.
The vessel is notable for its international history. It was built in Germany as Horst Wessel and transferred to the United States after World War II. The Coast Guard commissioned it as Eagle, and it became a major sailing training platform for cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Eagle has participated in multiple Operation Sail events, including those held in 1964, 1976, 1986, 1992, 2000, and 2012. Its ceremonial role in 1976 helped establish the ship as a highly visible maritime symbol of the United States.