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On October 4, 1976, at the age of eighteen, I enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. Like many my age, I was not sure what direction my life was going and I believed it would be time well invested as my life�s journey found its course. Shortly after completing Basic Training, I was assigned to the Plum Island Light Station. I had only recently learned that lighthouses were even still manned by crews. Being eighteen and yearning for adventure and accomplishment, my immediate response to my assignment was somewhat of a disappointment. Time would soon teach me my feelings were unfounded. |
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Upon my arrival at the Lighthouse in the first week of January 1977, I was warmly greeted by my new extended family. Mark, a First Class Petty Officer, was the Officer in Charge. Jim, a Third Class Petty Officer, was second in command and the Engineering Officer. Steve, a Seaman, and myself, a Fireman made up the remainder of the four man crew. They immediately gave me the �Ten Cent� tour of my new home. As you enter through the Mud Room there was a access to the basement strait ahead and the kitchen to the right. If you are looking at a side view of Lighthouse, the kitchen would be the smaller stone section to the rear of the main structure. Walking towards the front of the house, you would then enter the livingroom, which was furnished with all the modern conveniences. Adjacent to the livingroom on the right, was a recreation room. It contained a pool table that took up ninety-five percent of the room. I remember we had to use short little cut-off cue sticks in order to play without hitting the wall. Continuing on, you would come into a small foyer behind the front exterior door. Immediately to the left was the stairs leading to the second floor. There were actually four bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. The smallest bedroom was converted to an Office / Radio room. Mark and Jim each had their own room and Steve and I would share the large bedroom. Also in the hallway was a small closet and the stairway to the upper levels. This narrow staircase wrapped around the interior of a shaft way that worked its way up the light tower. From here I caught my first glimpse of the counter weight of the clockworks, which provides mechanical power to the lens. It traverses the center of this shaft way down to ground level. As you climb these narrow stairs, you first come to the attic level. I was kind of surprised to see how much room there was in the attic. You can easily stand-up in the center of the room. The only thing kept in the attic was some weight lifting equipment. A few months later we did discover some initials of previous Keepers carved into the rafters. If my memory serves me correct, we added ours to the collection. Anyway, as we continued up the stairs, we came to the steel hatch that leads to Lantern Room. As soon as you enter the Lantern Room the first thing that grabs your attention is �the Jewel of the House�, The Fresnel Lens. What a fascinating work of functional art. Though showing some damage from a century of service, it was still a breathtaking piece of brass and glass reflecting light from the midday sun. Once the distraction of the sight of the lens and clockworks subsided, you are captivated by the wondrous view of Plum Island, Plum Gut and Long Island Sound. These first fifteen minutes as a Lighthouse Keeper are forever etched in my memory. |
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