After finishing Book Camp, all graduates received their assignments. Mine was to report to Parramore Beach Lifeboat Station, located on an island off Wachapreague in Accomac County in Virginia. The station was established in 1883 and rebuilt in 1937. It was manned by 16 enlisted men, with a Chief in charge. The station’s main mission was Search and Rescue and to respond to all Maritime Emergencies. We had a 44 ft.Self Righting Motor Lifeboat, designed with special features for rescuing people in peril, at sea or in the estuaries. The boat house also housed a lifeboat which was oar-propelled.

Drills were a part of each days activities. One session was the Breeches Buoy and Life Cart Drill. There was a cart that included  all the equipment used in that drill. Included was a small cannon used to fire a lead line over a ships Masthead. ( We had a simulated ships mast on the beach) Those on the ship were supposed to grab the lead line and pull the hawser that was used to pass the Breeches Buoy or the Life Cart back and forth,  from the ship in distress  to the beach. Another drill was with the oar-propelled lifeboat  We practiced launching the lifeboat into the heavy surf. No easy task  but those Surfmen were up to the task. Several in the crew were rated Surfmen, part of the original Coast Guard Lifesaving Service.

All crew members had to stand watches, either at our telephone switchboard, at the Communications Station or in the Tower. My first Tower Watch was from 4:00 to 8:00 AM. Was instructed to log anything unusual and if I had an emergency, to press the Alarm button. All went well till about 6:00,  while looking out towards the horizon I saw what looked like the ocean was ablaze. The German Subs were raising havoc off the coast at that time and I thought I saw an explosion.  I set off the alarm but nobody responded. Then I found  it was just the sunrise. Those Old timers knew there was a rookie on watch in the tower and expected the alarm to sound.It gave the crew something to laugh about, during the day.

We responded to calls from the local Watermen that needed a tow and others in distress. On one occasion we intercepted a call from a 125 ft. Fishing Trawler that had engine trouble. She was about 10 miles off shore and when we arrived,  the trawler was wallowing in heavy seas. Our lifeboat was too small to help, so we called for a tug and then stood by till it arrived. While circling  I noted a seagull flapping in an oil slick. near the trawler, and about the same time a seaman on the trawler also the gull was in trouble. He went over and picked up a net with a long handle and scooped up the gull, brought it on board and with a towel wiped it clean, then let it fly away. There are lots of nice people in the world and that sailor is on my list.

There were many fishermen working in that area and when off duty a couple of us would go to the beach and help them haul in their Seine Nets and they. would respond by giving us a basket of a fish they called Spot. We would give them to the cook, who did a good job preparing them. We ate a lot of fish, then the extra were cleaned and salted and placed in a keg for future reference. I acquired a taste for seafood but those old timers were ahead of me, was the first time I ran into people eating fish for breakfast.

Was also a lot of game on the island. One day all had gone ashore and the cook and I were the only ones at the station  The cook saw a group of ducks in the water a few feet from the Boat Dock. He called me and said he had to stay in the kitchen , but wanted me to take the shotgun and sneak behind the Gas Drum and fire into those ducks and we would have duck for dinner that night. I had never shot a shot gun but sounded good to me, so I sneaked over in back of the drum ,were about a dozen ducks, sitting only about 10 ft. from me. I came out from behind the drum and fired, both barrels. Saw a lot of feathers flying around but no ducks in the water, I never hit a singe duck and the cook was mad.. He didn’t speak to me for two days and the crew had something else to laugh about.

We would get liberty and most of the crew had family in the area. I would rent a room and stay in Wachapreague on my days off. I met some nice people and always had invitations to dinners.I kept in touch with a few,after I was transferred, till they passed away but still talk to the son of the local barber I visited.  He is retired and still lives in the area,

After 6 months  was told I was being transferred. Guess all good things have to come to an end.