A plankowner[1] (also referred to a plank owner[2] and sometimes a plank holder) is an individual who was a member of the crew of a United States Navy ship or United States Coast Guard Cutter, or a Royal Canadian Navy ship, when that ship was placed in commission. Originally, this term applied only to crew members that were present at the ship's first commissioning. Today, however, plankowner is often applied to members of newly commissioned units, new military bases and recommissioning crews as well.[3]