 
BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard attended five ceremonies throughout New England, Saturday, for the release of the U.S. Postal Service's First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremonies to celebrate the New England Coastal Lighthouses Forever stamps.
The lighthouses featured included:
- Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
- Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, N.H.
- Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett, R.I.
- New London Light in New London, Conn.
- Boston Harbor Light in Boston, Mass
During the Boston Harbor Light ceremony, Capt. John O'Connor, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston, spoke to highlight the aids to navigation mission which dates back to the building and illumination of Boston Harbor Light, America's first lighthouse, in 1716.
“As we move closer to Boston Light's 300th anniversary in 2016, we, the United States Coast Guard, are especially honored to stand alongside the U.S. Postal Service as they recognize the nation's heritage and fascination with lighthouses with the commemorative postage stamp of Boston Light," said O'Connor.
Coast Guard attendance at the five events emphasized the importance of the aids to navigation mission. As technologies and best practices improve within the maritime industry, lighthouses, buoys, beacons, and dayboards continue to offer ships at sea the essentials for safe navigation.
In a single year, Coast Guard units in the northeast service more than 5,500 aids to navigation covering 2,000 miles of shoreline.