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America’s tallest lighthouse again was in the limelight of America’s center stage as it was rededicated as a National Landmark this past Saturday evening May 5th. An elaborate ceremony conducted at the base of the lighthouse brought to closure the historic engineering feat of the relocation of the tallest lighthouse ever moved in world history.
The patriotic ceremony attended by many of the descendants of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse keepers, as well as the general public, was in many ways reminiscent of the 200th anniversary celebration of the founding of our country. About the only difference was, instead of the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop for the ceremony, it was the magnificent black and white Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. However, the media was abundant, with TV broadcast trucks and reporters everywhere scrambling to get their stories on the air in time for the evening news or the next days edition of the newspaper.
Under a hot setting sun in a bright blue sky the crowds were greeted to a medley of patriotic music including the singing of America the Beautiful by the Hatteras Island Community Choir.
One could feel the sense of pride and patriotism throughout the crowd as the United States Coast Guard Color Guard from Group Cape Hatteras descended the steps of the lighthouse entrance and with the flags blowing briskly in the wind marched to the front of the podium filled with the various dignitaries and public officials. It was here that the ceremony began with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by John A. Gillikin, a U.S. National Park Ranger, dressed in an authentic reproduction of a lighthouse keeper’s uniform. Interestingly, Gillikin is a descendent of one of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse keepers. To commemorate the event, Gillikin’s lighthouse keepers uniform will never be worn again, as it will now displayed in a glass case at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Museum.
In-between the various speeches the crowd was entertained by William “Mojo” Collins a North Carolina folk singer who sang “the Hope of Diamond Shoals” and the “Song of Light.” Later they were entertained by lighthouse ballads sung by Bett Padgett and a musical tribute by the Hatteras Island Community Choir who sang the old hymns, “Let the Lower Lights by Burning” and “Rock of Ages.”
Former United States Senator Lauch Faircloth who also talked to the crowd found the moment as one of his crowning achievements in his long and lustrous career. It was largely through his efforts that the United States Congress approved the funding to move the lighthouse.
Cheryl Shelton-Roberts who addressed the crowd about the lighthouse keepers felt this moment finally also brought closure to the years of hard work by her and other volunteers, first in their battle to move the lighthouse and save it and now in locating and through documentation, now in book form, the preservation of the memories and photographs of the lighthouse keepers and their families who served at the lighthouse.
As the evening ceremony came to an official end with the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace there were many in the audience with tears in their eyes. This was a weekend that would always be remembered. Someday, somewhere in the future, when another Hatteras Keepers Descendants Homecoming is held, people will be able to tell their children or grandchildren of their memories of when they attended the first “Homecoming,” the first and largest event of its kind in world history and at the same time how they witnessed the rededication of America’s tallest lighthouse.
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