I am currently assigned to ANT Pensacola, FL. My OIC and I are working on creating a plaque listing all previous Pensacola Lighthouse Keepers and OIC's, with their names and dates assigned. We have the names and dates covered from it's beginning in the 1800's, up until the late 1950's. We have a gap of OIC's names from the late 1950's through late 1970's. I have tried everything I can think of to come up with these names. I've searched aid records, inpsection logs, read through old newspaper clippings and magazine articles. I've spoken with Naton, a CG Historian, and have received emails back from National Archives in D.C, as well as the Archives office in Geogia...all with neg results. As the unit has suffered through a few hurricanes, many paper-trails (such as inpsection logs, aid folders, 1149 folders) were lost years ago. The office at headquaters, which deals with lighthouse lighting equipment does not maintain records back that far. D-8 office has nothing. The last two possible resources I can think of are 1. Travel to D.C. and spend days reading through each and every log book from STA Pensacola (as they probably would have logged an ANT change of command), and 2: Hope to find someone here.

My OIC has already opened a discussion pertaining to this topic in the ATON section. However, there have been no repsonses since his post 3 weeks ago. I understand that not everybody can enjoy ATON. Many leave their fist ATON unit, knowing it will be their last. So, I think I might be able to, possibly, reach more people under this BM topic.

If you have ANY suggestions, I'd appreciate them. What I'm hoping is for someone to read this, having been assigned to the unit at one time or another and be able to provide even just one name. Perhaps, you KNEW someone who was assigned during this gap in time we have. Anything would be helpful.

Thank you,

BM2

Pensacola Light Station 1963-65
I was the last OinC of The Lighthouse in Sept. 1965, put it on Auto and left,reported aboard in 1963,Santa Rosa LBS was across te Bay,I will try to get more info on the Lighthouse,HAVE SOME PICTURES ALSO.

chief74Ret,

WOW! You have NO idea how many articles I have read online, as well as thumbed through out of a box...so many mentioning it's automation in '65, yet no mention of the name of the OIC! I could not believe your name was not mentioned in anything I had come across. You just brought a smile to my face! Haha! I was beginning to lose hope. I've searched entering "Santa Rosa Island" as well, but never found anything. I need to somehow obtain your name. Do you remember who you relieved, or who relieved you?

Thank you,

BM2

Boats I will dig thru my files.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chief74Ret,

Great picture. I visited the old light station about three years ago after I first reported. With very little damage, that place is still standing amazingly strong after the hurricanes it's been through. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to find anything out for me.

Thanks again,

BM2

Boats

I relieved BM1 Roy Dowdy,he was there approx 2 yrs.

My XPOs were EN3 Charles Black,EN3 Henry Merritt,EN3 Jerry Webber.

No one releived me,Station Santa Rosa kept watch on the Light after I left.

CWO Westberry was CO of the LBS at the time.

BMC,

Thank you for looking that up. I might just sound like an idiot right now, but I'm trying to figure this out, so I know where to go next. So, the Light Station was attached to the LifeBoat Station while you were on Santa Rosa Island? Once you left, the Light Station was no longer manned? Did the LBS work the ATON around here, or was all of that left to the cutters? Was there any talk, that you can remember, between you and anyone else prior to your departure, of who would be maintaining the lighthouse? Should I, perhaps, presume that there was no existing Light Station or Aids to Navigation Team until, I believe, the 1980's when Aids to Navigation Team Pensacola was established on the pensacola side of the water? I cant, off the top of my head, remember the names of the cutters which may have been around here at that time. I'm sure my OIC will know. I do know, however, that not one of the ATON cutters presently responsible for this area were around here at that time. Surprisingly enough, you being the first to respond to my post, I'm thinking you may have just led me in a completely different direction then I ever would have thought to go. I never even thought about the fact that there may have not even been a Light Station/ANT around here for any period of time. Have you, by some slim chance in heck, ever heard from BM1 Roy Dowdy since the relief, or know of a way (outside of Google-ing) I might be able to get in contact with him?

Thank you thank you thank you!!

quote:

, the Light Station was attached to the LifeBoat Station while you were on Santa Rosa Island?

The Lighthouse keepers were not attached to Santa Rosa LBS,we were under Group Mobile,Ala.


"Once you left, the Light Station was no longer manned? Did the LBS work the ATON around here"

Right after I left The Lightstation was no longer manned,Santa Rosa LBS took care of it,and they also took care of the other lights in the area,they had one 40 foot UTB,One 36 footer,the old wood MLB,The Cutter Rambler out of Base Mobile worked the Buoys from Mobile ICW to past Panama City,I served three years aboard her 1958-61.

The Cutter Blackthorn out Of Mobile and the Cutter Salvia out of Mobile worked the big Buoys ie sea buoys etc.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chief74Ret,

I'M forgetting the Cutter Shadbush out of Mobile who rebuilt the Lights that were destroyed by storms or towboats, they had a pile driver,the Cutter Rambler helped rebuild the lights also but had no pile driver at the time,the Rambler was later transfered to Charleston S.C.

Boats

There is a Roy Dowdy CWO retired on fredsplace directory,might be the same one,not sure how to get his email.

Another point

We had no boat at the Lighthouse, so LBS Santa Rosa took care of the front range light,about 100 feet off shore from the Lighthouse,the rear range light was attached to the Keepers house,the Ships used the range lights to line up on for center channel coming into the Bay.

BMC, thank you for all you can remember. the rear range light (now called fort barrancas range rear light) is still attached to the keepers quarters. the range front light, has been rebuilt, but is still in the same place as it used to be.

I sent an email to the Roy Dowdy I found on fredplace. hopefully, I'll soon find out if it is him or not.