Digest>Archives> Nov/Dec 2016

Following In The Steps of the Coast Guard

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After most of the people had left the July 27th Lighthouse Digest sponsored ceremony in Maine to place historical markers at the gravesites of seven lighthouse keepers at the Mt. Height Cemetery in Southwest Harbor, the descendants of lighthouse keepers Howard “Bob” R. Gray and Joseph M. Gray were still there. As the family departed, young Jayden Corey lingered behind the rest of the family. When his father, Allen, looked back to make sure Jayden was still with them, he noticed the youngster standing by himself at the gravesites giving his own salute to his ancestors, and he quickly snapped this photo of his son, which is truly worth more than words can say.

Earlier that day, young Jayden had witnessed the Coast Guard personnel installing the memorial lighthouse keeper markers and laying of the wreaths at the gravesites, which was followed by the Coast Guard giving a final salute to the lighthouse keepers. Jayden waited until he was by himself to follow in his own way what the Coast Guard people had done moments before.

Later at the home of his great grandmother, Dorothy Meyer, whose father was lighthouse keeper Howard “Bob Gray and her grandfather was lighthouse keeper Joseph M. Gray, Dorothy Meyer wrote that that “Jayden told me that when he grew up he was going to be a Lighthouse Coast Guard person like Dad and my grandfather so he wouldn’t let them drown.” She continued by saying, “I knew what he was thinking, because years ago his grandfather Allen Corey of Lubec and two others fell through the ice on their snowmobiles and drowned. Jayden said that if people were in boats, not snowmobiles, you could save them.”

This story appeared in the Nov/Dec 2016 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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