The vast, vital, unsung but often heroic contributions of the members of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, a predecessor to the modern National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the second world war deserve to be remembered.
An epithet is a byname, a characterizing word or phrase that accompanies or occurs in place of the name of a person or thing. Historically, some have been unfortunate- just ask Alfonso the Slobberer or Eystein Foul-Fart.