<P> On 1 April 1967 the Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the newly formed Department of Transportation under the authority of PL 89 - 670 which was signed into law on 15 October 1966 . </P> <P> In 1967, the Coast Guard adopted the red and blue "racing stripe" as part of the regular insignia for cutters, boats, and aircraft . It was recommended by the industrial design firm of Raymond Loewy / William Snaith, Inc. to give Coast Guard units and vessels a distinctive appearance, as well as clearer recognition from a distance . This "racing stripe" was in turn adopted (in modified forms) by several other coast guards, in particular the Canadian Coast Guard . </P> <P> The Coast Guard was active in the Vietnam War beginning 27 May 1965 with the formation of Coast Guard Squadron One consisting of Divisions 11 and 12 . Squadron One assisted in Operation Market Time by interdicting resupply by sea of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces . Seventeen Point class 82 - foot WPB cutters were transferred to coastal waters off Vietnam with their Coast Guard crews under the operational control of the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet . Division 13, consisting of nine additional WPB's was added in February 1966 . Squadron One cutters were awarded the Navy Presidential Unit Citation for their assistance provided the Navy during Operation Sealords . Coast Guard Squadron Three was activated in support of Market Time beginning March 1967 and consisted initially of five high endurance cutters (WHEC) tasked to the Navy for used in coastal interdiction and naval gunfire support for shore operations in South Vietnam . The Coast Guard developed a "piggyback" weapon that proved highly useful; an M2 Browning machine gun placed over a 81mm mortar . </P> <P> Several Coast Guard aviators served with the U.S. Air Force 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron and 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in Southeast Asia from 1968 to 1972 . They were involved in combat search and rescue operations in both Vietnam and Laos . </P>

Who is credited with idea of creating the department of homeland security