Remember the Surfmen
By Sue Clark on Nov 7, 2008 in The Light Side 
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The sister group to the US Lighthouse Service was the US Life Saving Service. Often forgotten, and certainly not as well remembered as the lighthouse keepers, these brave men risked their lives to save shipwreck victims, while lighthouse keepers mostly just stood by. Merged into the Coast Guard in 1915, with the US Revenue Cutter Service, their story is less well known than the romantic tales of lighthouse keepers.
Except in Cape Cod, Mass., where the Dennis Historical Society is attempting to locate and mark the graves of the men who “Had To Go Out” from the 13 stations located from Monomoy Point in Chatham, to Wood End in Provincetown.
From the story at Metro West Daily News:
Life Saving Service historian Richard Ryder of Eastham has designed a cast-bronze grave marker “to denote the meritorious service of the thousands of men who filled this important but dangerous role.” Shaped like a surfman’s patrol check, which each man carried to identify himself and his degree of service, the marker carries the USLSS logo and the dates of its service. “With the passage of time, all the men who served are deceased,” Ryder said. “It is my intent that they not be forgotten.”
The Dennis Historical Society has asked for the public’s help in locating the graves of these Dennis men. Anyone with information on where the following men are buried is asked to contact Phyllis Horton of the Dennis Historic Commission, 508-394-0017. A bronze commemorative USLSS marker will be purchased and placed on the grave.
- Dennis village: Obed Shiverick; James. H. Charles.
- Dennisport: Wilton Berry; Albert Chase; Richard S. Gage; Timothy F. Murray; Wilter F. Wixon.
- South Dennis: Reuben W. Eldredge
- West Dennis: Benjamin Kelley; Alton J. Baker
In fact, if you know where any member of the United States Lifesaving Service are buried, please call Phyllis Horton at the above number. More information about the US Life Saving Service is available at the US Life-Saving Service History (Fascinating reading).
Photo credit: USLSS seal from US Coast Guard. Public domain.
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November 10th, 2008 at 10:26 am
“these brave men risked their lives to save shipwreck victims, while lighthouse keepers mostly just stood by”….where did you get this from? There are tons of stories where the lighthouse keepers worked side by side with the life savers in rescues, and plenty of stories where the light keepers made rescues by themselves without the USLHSS. Where did you find something in historical records citing that the keepers ‘mostly just stood by’? That kind of statement is a disservice to the men of the USLHS.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Hi Jim,
As a general rule, yes, the lighthouse keepers were there to man the lighthouse, not to do rescues. Yes, there have been some that would row out to get survivors, if they could, and there have been a few dramatic rescues. But they didn’t have the equipment for major life saving efforts, just usually a small skiff. And if the weather was bad, they’d only be able to just stand helplessly by.
The USLSS’s sole purpose was rescue. They were trained for it, and practiced it, and were the ones to go out.
I’m definitely not taking anything away from either group. Both services were compromised of brave men and women, but their jobs were totally different.