The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-07-08
AUG. II SET ASIDE TO HONOR
NATIONS OLD LIFE SAVERS
IN SPECIAL RODANTHE EVENT
Will Probably Be Last Public Recognition of
Those Whose Faithful Services Did So Much TO
Develop The Coast Guard. Many Special
Events Are Planned in Two-Day Celebration

The first, and probably the last
event of its kind ever held, to do
honor to those few remaining old
veterans of the U. S. Life Saving
Service is in the making at the viii
lagos of Rodanthe and Waves, Aug
ust IL and Is, and it is expected to
arouse national interest. 1t will be
a time of recognition for the men
of the Coast Guard, principally
those men now retired from active
service, and particularly the old
veterans of the Life Saving Serv-
ice.
The old Life Saving Service dis
appeared in 1915 when it was con-
solidated with the Revenue Cutter
Service under the name of the U.
S. Coast Guard. Most of its per-
sonnet continued with the Coast
Guard. Most of its veterans now
are past Is years of age. Only two
are living in the Waves area.
The celebration in August will
mark the 80th anniversary of the
establishment in 1875 of the Life
Saving Stations on Hatteras Is
land. They flourished for only 40
years under the flag of the Life
Saving Service. Of the ten stations
that have been in commission on
Hatteras Island, only two now are
active.
Rear Admiral Russell E. Wood,
Coast Guard Division Commandant
at Norfolk, announced this week
the program has his hearty appro-
val, and the men and facilities of
the Coast Guard will be available
to carry out the program. The
program will include beach APP
paratus drill as done by the old
veterans, illustrating the rescue of
men from a ship in distress, and
also drill showing rescue work
as done today by helicopters. A
capsize drill in a rowing life-boat
will be done by retired men of the
Coast Guard. There may be row.
ing races, and there will be swim
ming races, the browning of beau
ty queen, and other events on a
two-day program which will be
worked out this week end by a
citizens committee of this area.
1t has been proposed for this
Chicamicomico celebration that it
also be made the occasion for re-
union of the Midgetts and the
Meekins, called home from across
the nation to the land where they
originated in North Carolina. 1t is
a land where also originated much
of the fame and glory of the Coast
Guards, for along the lonely beach
of Chicamicomico occurred more
shipwrecks per mile during the
10Th Century than anywhere else
in America. Contrary to popular
legend it was not at Cape Hatteras
where most of the shipwrecks oc-
Cured, for vessels did not sail near
the Cape, but along the coast OF
Rodanthe- Waves, which is the
easternmost point of North Caro-
lima.
Here on this lonely strand where
so many of the sailing ships OF
several nations found their final
resting place, great and brave
deeds were done by the old Life
Savers in rescuing crews from the
threats of the sea. The reports Of
these rescues went abroad through
the land, and aroused the natior
to a sense of the need for more
funds to expand the service. 1t was
long battle, and many men tool
part in getting the interest of Con
gress aroused.
For about rs years, the shore
stations lived their day in the sun
but as the old sailing vessels grad
ually disappeared from the scene
and after the modern aids to navi
CATION, and mechanical methods Of
rescue came into service, the
younger men who ran the service
deemed the old lifeboat station:
less and less important, and dur
ing the past five years, they have
been rapidly going out of commits
sion. Most of the younger mel
have been transferred to the yes
sells of the Coast Guard; the oldel
ones have been retired from serv