CORTEZ, Fla. - The Coast Guard ensign is displayed at Coast Guard Station Cortez while a 41-foot rescue boat patrols the area. The Coast Guard ensign was adopted in 1799 by the Revenue Cutter Service. The colors used in the Coast Guard ensign today, as in the Revenue Cutter Service, are all symbolic. The color red stands for our youth and sacrifice of blood for liberty’s sake. The color blue not only stands for justice, but also for our covenant against oppression. The white symbolizes our desire for light and purity. As it was intended in 1799, the ensign is displayed as a mark of authority for boardings, examinations and seizures of vessels for the purpose of enforcing the laws of the United States. Photo by PA1 Tasha Tully, PADET St. Petersburg.