For a reason known only to those in charge, I was transferred from Parramore Island. to Nags Head C.G. Station, on the N.C eastern shore. The station was similar to the one I just left, just a different location At that time in 1941, there were just a few cottages along the beach , now there are wall to wall Condos and gigantic Hotels. Nags Head is in an area called the Outer Banks, known for it’s large Sand Dunes and Kitty Hawk, where the Wright Bros. made their first powered airplane flight.<\/p>\n
At Nags Head Station our duties were similar to those at Parramore Is., with the addition of the patrols of the beaches. At that time the German U boats were raising havoc off the coast and we would see oil slicks and debris on the beaches.\u00a0 We\u00a0 walked our patrols till it was decided we could cover more area, if we rode along the beaches.The Cavalry was disbanding\u00a0 and sent a dozen horses to Nags Head. Stables. were built to house them and then they were\u00a0 used to ride beach patrols. I had never ridden a horse but we had several crew members that were from Texas and volunteered to ride. I stood my watches in the Tower and at the switchboard. On one Sunday some of the crew decided to go Horse Riding and I was invited. Thought I would try riding a horse, so one was selected and I was instructed in the placement of the saddle and how to steer the critter. We all mounted the horses and then the guys took off down the beach. I tried to hold back but that horse paid no attention, it wanted to join the crowd. All I could do was hold on and pray. After what seemed to be hours, we returned to the station and I was Sore. I sat on a pillow for a week and declined future horse riding invitations.<\/p>\n
Had a lot of work to do at the station along with standing watches,\u00a0 participating in drills and responding to rescue assignments.\u00a0 We also had\u00a0 time off for fun, enjoyed entertaining the young ladies that vacationed in the area. Manteo\u00a0 was a small town a few miles from the station and that was our Liberty town. For a small town, there was a lot of activity. Each summer, actors and singers performed at the Waterside Theater, in what was billed as the Nations Oldest Outdoor Drama, “The Lost Colony” I was told 117 men, women, and children sailed from Plymouth, England in an attempt to settle on Roanoke Island and they vanished, The Lost Colony is their story , told with romance , dancing and drama.Many of the townspeople were involved in the theater. I spent a lot of time at the local library, which doubled as a USO and I met a young lady who was an actress in the show, so I had some incentive to visit Manteo.<\/p>\n
Each year Coast Guard Day is celebrated and the main event\u00a0 was a lifeboat race, with several of the stations competing. The course was set up off shore, covered one mile from start to a marker,\u00a0 then a return to the finish line. The oarsmen had only a life jacket and an oar in the boat . The race began with the firing of a Flares Gun and at some time during the race, each crew had to stop , ship oars, all oarsmen would get to one side of the boat, turn it over, then right it and\u00a0 continue the race. The coxswain that was stationed at the stern,\u00a0 would ship his steering oar and ride around too. In that year\u00a0 Nags Head won and the\u00a0 crew\u00a0 consisted of 8 Surfmen and the Chief in charge, that was the coxswain.<\/p>\n
One of the crew was from Hatteras and several times invited me to go home with him for a week-end. and I accepted.\u00a0 Were no roads on Hatteras Island. in those days, had to wait for low tide and drive on the beach. We hitched a ride with a fellow that delivered the mail and it was interesting riding along the beach and seeing\u00a0 those hulks of wrecked ships. Off shore the warm Gulf Stream collides with the colder Labrador current, creating ideal conditions for powerful ocean storms . The area is famous for the storms and all the many ships that ran aground due to shifting sand bars. While in Hatteras, we took a walk up to the top of the 200 ft. Hatteras Lighthouse, an Aid to Navigation that can be seen 20 miles out to sea. My friend had many relatives living in the area that made for a nice visit.<\/p>\n
When Dec. 7, 1941 arrived,\u00a0 we sat glued to the radio, listening to what went on at Pearl Harbor. On Dec 8th we listened to President F.D. Roosevelt give his, ” Day That Will Live in Infamy” speech . and\u00a0 wondered how we would be effected by what was going on. After a few months we found out, the Navy took over the Coast Guard and several of us were transferred.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For a reason known only to those in charge, I was transferred from Parramore Island. to Nags Head C.G. Station, on the N.C eastern shore. The station was similar to the one I just left, just a different location At … Continue reading