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Carl V. Anderson recently shared with us some of his memories and photographs of his Coast Guard days in Alaska after the conclusion of World War II. He had the distinction of having served on the Coast Guard vessel Hiram that traversed the cold Alaskan waters servicing and maintaining buoys and lighthouses before being transferred to an island lighthouse.
Anderson said he did not like being on the water and often times was seasick. He recalled that one time he actually got seasick while hanging on to a buoy while repairing it. When he heard that the Hiram was going to be decommissioned in the winter of 1946, he asked to be stationed at a lighthouse rather than on another vessel. His request was granted and he was told to report to Mary Island Lighthouse.
During World War II the Coast Guard was under the U. S. Navy, and many of the Alaskan lighthouses, as well as many other lighthouses around the nation, were under the control of the Navy. However, on June 30, 1946, the Navy returned control of the lighthouses to the Coast Guard. As a result, the Navy personnel who were stationed at lighthouses were to be discharged and the Coast Guard would almost immediately have to re-staff many of the Alaskan lighthouses with their own personnel.
The Coast Guard had selected Mary Island Lighthouse Station as the location to train new lighthouse keepers, some of whom would become the Officers In Charge (OIC), a title that had technically replaced the term lighthouse keeper. The first class of Coast Guard personnel to arrive at Mary Island Lighthouse consisted of twelve men, and Carl was assigned to be their cook. Although his stay at Mary Island Lighthouse was short, to this day he has many fond memories of life at the lighthouse.
We thank Mr. Anderson for sharing these photographs and memories with us; they have now been saved to preserve this vital part of Alaskan and American lighthouse history for future generations.
Carl V. Anderson recently shared with us some of his memories and photographs of his Coast Guard days in Alaska after the conclusion of World War II. He had the distinction of having served on the Coast Guard vessel Hiram that traversed the cold Alaskan waters servicing and maintaining buoys and lighthouses before being transferred to an island lighthouse.
Anderson said he did not like being on the water and often times was seasick. He recalled that one time he actually got seasick while hanging on to a buoy while repairing it. When he heard that the Hiram was going to be decommissioned in the winter of 1946, he asked to be stationed at a lighthouse rather than on another vessel. His request was granted and he was told to report to Mary Island Lighthouse.
During World War II the Coast Guard was under the U. S. Navy, and many of the Alaskan lighthouses, as well as many other lighthouses around the nation, were under the control of the Navy. However, on June 30, 1946, the Navy returned control of the lighthouses to the Coast Guard. As a result, the Navy personnel who were stationed at lighthouses were to be discharged and the Coast Guard would almost immediately have to re-staff many of the Alaskan lighthouses with their own personnel.
The Coast Guard had selected Mary Island Lighthouse Station as the location to train new lighthouse keepers, some of whom would become the Officers In Charge (OIC), a title that had technically replaced the term lighthouse keeper. The first class of Coast Guard personnel to arrive at Mary Island Lighthouse consisted of twelve men, and Carl was assigned to be their cook. Although his stay at Mary Island Lighthouse was short, to this day he has many fond memories of life at the lighthouse.
We thank Mr. Anderson for sharing these photographs and memories with us; they have now been saved to preserve this vital part of Alaskan and American lighthouse history for future generations.
This story appeared in the
March 2010 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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