Time Well-Served

Coast Guard Lt. Commander of Molokai retires.

Community contributed

Provided by Gwen McGwin

Lieutenant Commander Rudy McGwin grew up on the Hawaiian islands of O`ahu and Moloka`i. His father, Donald McGwin, a decorated Air Force Chief Warrant Officer, exposed him to life in the military at an early age. Rudy enlisted in the Coast Guard in January 1980 to “see the world.” After graduating from Radioman “A” school in Petaluma, California the summer of that year, he received his first set of orders to (ta-da!) – COMMSTA Honolulu. So much for seeing the world!

What followed was multiple tours in CGC Glacier and CGC Polar Star where he completed almost nine consecutive years at sea, visiting numerous countries and seeing latitudes and longitudes that most people only watch on National Geographic. He is a graduate of the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer’s Academy and is pursuing his degree in Homeland Security. He is currently assigned to the Command and Control Engineering Center (C2CEN) in Virginia.

He was celebrated in Virginia on October 23, 2009 for his 30 years of service in the military. His mother, Gwen Kekauwohi McGwin, still lives on Molokai.
“It’s a wonderful feeling as a parent. My children have become good children, [I’m] happy to see local children accomplish a big part of their life,” she said.

Rudy resides in Chesapeake, Virginia with his wife, Lisa Henry, of Dorchester, MA, and their three miniature Dachshunds.