PART 1 Pea Island Life-Saving crew at U.S. Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, in Virginia

The Pea Island Preservation Society held a presentation in honor of the original Pea Island Life-Saving crew at U.S. Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, in Virginia on Feb. 21, 2021. PART 1Show more

Credit: Seaman Kate Kilroy | Date Taken: 02/22/2021
The Pea Island Preservation Society held a presentation at U.S. Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, in Virginia on Feb. 21, 2021. Located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Pea Island Life-Saving Station was the first life-saving station in the country to have an all-black crew. The Pea Island Preservation Society’s director and president, Joan Collins and Darrell Collins, who presented during this exhibition, are related to Dorman Pugh, a surfman who served under Richard Etheridge, the first black commanding officer in the Coast Guard. The Pea Island Preservation Society’s president and director are also related to Maxie Berry Sr., the last officer in charge of the station and Lt. Herbert Collins who helped decommission the station in 1947. Kevin Pruden, who was also at the ceremony, is the grandson of Keeper George Pruden. The Pea Island Life-Saving Station operated during segregation and Jim Crowe laws, staying open for almost 70 years as an all-black crew. The family members of these brave men now tell their story through presentations like this to their community and local schools as well as for the first time to a Coast Guard audience shown here at Base Portsmouth.