Wednesday, June 14, at 1:30, Hatteras Island’s own “Keeper James,” will present “A Brief Introduction to the United States Life-Saving Service – the Sister Service in the Sand” in the village of Buxton, NC, at the iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the pavilion area.
The United States Life-Saving Service is one of the least-known yet is also one of the most fascinating and inspirational aspects in all of America’s storied history. From 1871 until 1915, in ferocious storms, these brave surfmen rescued shipwreck victims one by one until the “Angels in Oilskins” had saved thousands upon thousands. They became today’s United States Coast Guard whose primary mission remains to operate “so others may live.”
Charlet is the author of Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, by Globe Pequot Press. It has become a domestic best-seller and is distributed internationally. “When I picked up James Charlet’s book, I already knew he was an expert on the U. S. Life-Saving Service. I settled in for a nice read, jumping from here to there before I was so engrossed in his story-telling that I gave up and started at the beginning and read to the end… I highly recommend Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks as an important and outstanding resource for American history teachers,” an Amazon review from Lostinspace.
Keeper James will be appearing in his striking authentic full-dress uniform. This will be the only presentation here for June but will be repeated on July 12 and August 9, 2023.
There is no charge for the program and it is family-friendly.