By Erik J. Wallace
James Charlet and his wife, Linda Molloy, stand in the center of the Sanderling Resort Lifesaving Station Restaurant on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, addressing a crowd of 40 diners. The two are dressed as characters from the late-19th century. Charlet sports a big salt-and-pepper beard and the gold-buttoned, navy-blue dress uniform of a U.S. Life-Saving Service station keeper. Molloy plays his wife, wearing gloves, a long black skirt, white collared blouse and matching sunhat—all tastefully adorned with Victorian frills.
“Go to any town or city in America and ask people if they’ve heard of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (USLSS), and maybe one in a hundred will say yes,” says Charlet, 74. Yet the government agency, which was founded in 1871 and morphed into the Coast Guard in 1915, rescued more than 177,000 sailors and civilians from coastal shipwrecks. Servicemen did it using little more than cork flotation devices, ropes and oar-driven wooden boats.
Crews of about eight men were assigned to lifesaving stations, which were mostly located on isolated coastal shores and managed by a ‘keeper.’ Known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” the Outer Banks was notoriously dangerous for mariners. Accordingly, the area was home to seven stations in 1874 and 29 by 1915. During that time its USLSS crewmen saw more action than any other U.S. location.
“These men were constantly regaled as heroes in the nation’s top magazines and newspapers,” Charlet tells the audience. “People all across the country were inspired by their daring acts of bravery. But today, that history is almost totally forgotten.” Charlet has spent much of the past 20 years trying to change that. The Sanderling event celebrated the quest’s crowning achievement: Globe Pequot’s March 2020 publication of his new book, Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks, Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Charlet and Molloy, who worked together at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site on Hatteras Island, told theatrical stories about wrecks and USLSS rescues. Executive Chef of the Lifesaving Restaurant Brian Riddle provided a four-course dinner of fine-dining takes on seasonal, period-correct dishes and beverages enjoyed by crews. Originally built in 1874, and later designated a National Historic Landmark, the resort’s renovated station-turned-restaurant was the perfect venue.
“[Charlet and Molloy] transported the audience back in time and held them spellbound with tales of real-life heroes,” said Sanderling Resort program coordinator, Ashley Vaught, who attended the dinner. It was so successful she’s partnering with the couple to do more in 2021. “Their ability to make history come alive and shed light on the lives and deeds of these astonishing men is informative and wonderfully entertaining.”
Charlet’s book has struck a similar nerve with readers. It’s become one of Globe Pequot’s current best-sellers and has been made available at major retailers throughout the U.S. and in more than a dozen countries worldwide.
North Carolina State Historical Sites Chief Curator, Martha Jackson, says Charlet does nothing halfway. “His passion for history is superlative and inspiring.” And it’s augmented by an endearing sense of humor, kindness and charm.
Research revealed more than 3,000 known shipwrecks have occurred along the OBX, with an estimated 600 occurring near Hatteras alone. Surrounding stories offered a wellspring of intrigue. For instance, barrier islands like Hatteras were located about 30 miles from the mainland and had no paved roads until the mid-20th century. Villages were isolated, clannish, and had about 100-200 residents each. Legend has it that groups known as ‘wreckers’ once used lanterns to trick wayward ships into running ashore at night. The boats were pilfered for supplies, building materials and valuables. This is most likely not true. Later, German submarines and mines sank more than 100 freighters and tankers during World War I.
“You start reading about this stuff and there are so many incredible stories, it gets addictive,” says Charlet. He volunteered at local mariners’ museums to learn more. One was the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Historic Site, which features a restored 19th century USLSS station. “You hear ‘life-saving’ and you think lifeguards, lighthouses, that sort of thing. Well, this was something altogether different.”
The station’s most famous rescue involved the August 1918 wreck of the British tanker, Mirlo. Charlet used old captain’s logs, news articles, reports, correspondence and interviews to reconstruct what happened the 52 British sailors safely onto the beach.
Remarkably, the heroic tale wasn’t anomalous. “Once I’d pieced together the Mirlo story, I thought, ‘Wow, I bet there are more of these,’” says Charlet. Researching neighboring stations validated the hunch. On one side, a serviceman had singlehandedly saved 12 men from a wrecked barkentine. The only all African American crew in the USLSS had served on the other—and executed dozens of rescues.
“It didn’t take long to realize these stories were virtually inexhaustible,” says Charlet.
Charlet was hooked. He started spending free-time tracking down information about obscure OBX wrecks and related USLSS rescues. He compiled findings into narratives and shared them with groups like the National Maritime Historical Society. They were well received and led to public presentations and articles in regional periodicals.
“People really responded to these stories, and I was one of them,” says Linda Molloy. She met Charlet at a Chicamacomico Historic Site event in the early 2000s. His presentation about the USLSS inspired her to volunteer and the two began dating soon thereafter. A few years later, they were hired by the onsite museum. Brainstorming ideas to boost attendance and enhance visitor experiences inspired them to develop historical personas. Molloy was a seamstress and former actor. She made costumes and worked with Charlet to hone living-history presentations centered around turn-of the-century rescues and village life. Jackson, the North Carolina historical sites curator, calls the results “fantastic.” Visitor feedback was unanimous: Molloy and Charlet were an extraordinary hit.
Charlet’s book came out of a chance encounter: An author with ties to Globe Pequot read one of his stories and suggested he pitch writing about the USLSS.
“The Coast Guard is the only branch of the U.S. military where the primary focus is saving lives,” says Charlet. Exploring its largely forgotten origins had national appeal. The adventurous and almost unbelievable reality of Outer Banks USLSS servicemen was like a positive version of the Wild West. “Their deeds were heroic, in the truest sense of the word.”
Charlet emailed the publisher, submitting past articles as potential chapters. They loved the material and signed a deal in 2018. “It was all pretty surreal,” says Charlet, laughing. The project let him fully indulge his obsession. “I got to spend about eighteen months totally immersed. It was great fun.”
And the book reads accordingly. On one hand, it’s filled with dozens of suspenseful tales about rescues. On the other, it offers a fascinating portrait of 19th and early-20th century life on what is today one of the East Coast’s top tourist areas.
For his part, Charlet is thrilled the book has found a large audience. But his delight isn’t about personal acclaim.
“I’m happy to help restore this amazing chapter of history,” says Charlet. In an era that celebrates actors, athletes, YouTube stars and billionaires as heroes, “it’s important for people to understand what real heroism looked like.”
To be sure, Charlet’s book showcases some dazzling examples.
THE BOOK
Unlike conventional shipwreck books which are simply arranged chronologically, this is a themed-collection: The Well-Known, The Lesser-Known, The Hardly Known, some Dramatic Failures and the Mysterious. Some specific wrecks – the Tiger, the USS Huron, the SS Central America – so impacted our history as to forever alter our fate. All are true stories more about the rescues than the wrecks; the real-life human drama of shipwreck victims and their heroic lifesavers. In their time, the men of the United States Life-Saving Service responded to over 178,000 lives in peril from the sea; of which they saved over 177,000. Yet America forgot these peaceful heroes. These eye-opening accounts correctly reveal America’s Forgotten Heroes – the United States Life-Saving Service, predecessor of today’s United States Coast Guard.
“James Charlet has written a masterpiece that not only preserves the heroism of the brave surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Stations but reveals little-known maritime history,” Martha Battle Jackson, Chief Curator, Division of State Historic Sites and Properties, NC Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources.
For more information about the book, about James, and more reviews, Google the book main title and add James Charlet. You will find numerous sources.
Unlike conventional shipwreck books which are simply arranged chronologically, this is a themed-collection: The Well-Known, The Lesser-Known, The Hardly Known, some Dramatic Failures and the Mysterious. Some specific wrecks – the Tiger, the USS Huron, the SS Central America – so impacted our history as to forever alter our fate. All are true stories more about the rescues than the wrecks; the real-life human drama of shipwreck victims and their heroic lifesavers. In their time, the men of the United States Life-Saving Service responded to over 178,000 lives in peril from the sea; of which they saved over 177,000. Yet America forgot these peaceful heroes. These eye-opening accounts correctly reveal America’s Forgotten Heroes – the United States Life-Saving Service, predecessor of today’s United States Coast Guard.
“James Charlet has written a masterpiece that not only preserves the heroism of the brave surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Stations but reveals little-known maritime history,” Martha Battle Jackson, Chief Curator, Division of State Historic Sites and Properties, NC Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources.
For more information about the book, about James, and more reviews, Google the book main title and add James Charlet. You will find numerous sources.
RAVE PROFESSIONAL EDITORIAL REVIEWS
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It showed me that, as much as I thought I knew about the history of the Outer Banks, there is a lot more that I didn’t know. James Charlet has written an extraordinary account of the shipwrecks along the Outer Banks. From the earliest settlers through Blackbeard, colonial America and into the 21st century, he has captured the essence of why the Outer Banks is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.–Chris Wright, BMCM, USCG (ret); Surfman 309.
James Charlet is one of America’s finest storytellers today. With experience as a historian, manager of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, and a lifelong student of maritime legends, there is no better subject for him than the true stories of nightmarish shipwrecks along the notoriously dangerous North Carolina Coast. Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks offers in-depth looks at some of the most famous shipwrecks to date and what caused them. He puts the reader right there on board the distressed ship or in the life-saving surfboat with the angels in oil coats struggling to rescue their fellow mariners. Well-illustrated and peppered with fascinating behind-the-scenes explanations, this book is hard to put down.–Cheryl Shelton-Roberts.
If you have ever experienced James Charlet relating the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and tales of heroic rescues by the Chicamacomico Station, you know you are in for a treat. I have watched as James held his audiences spellbound, from small children to older adults, and this book does not disappoint. He does a masterful job weaving the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (now the U.S. Coast Guard), explaining why the Outer Banks of North Carolina are the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” and recounting seemingly impossible rescues of passengers and crews of unfortunate ships foundering off the coast. In addition, the author explains nautical terms to landlubbers so that we can better appreciate and understand what actually happened. He also relates how certain wrecks impacted the history of the United States, such as the loss of the SS Central America adversely affecting the fragile economy and political climate of the time. James Charlet has written a masterpiece that not only preserves the heroism of the brave surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Stations but reveals little-known maritime history. A MUST read for all persons serving in the U.S. Coast Guard!–Martha Jackson, Chief Curator, Division of State Historic Sites and Properties, NC Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Keeper James methodically reveals his passion about the Lifesaving Service. I was amazed by his knowledge on this important piece of American History, and his diligent attention to the details. The 1918 rescue of the SS Mirlo‘s crew in Chapter 3 stirred my excitement and almost brought me to tears. Such heroics exceed my imagination. Hat’s off to a master storyteller! This history deserves to be told and retold. America is in need of heroes to spur each of us to go above and beyond what we think we can accomplish. These ordinary men from the Outer Banks of North Carolina performed superhuman feats of courage, exemplifying the true meaning of the “golden rule.” I would like to have known some of them on a personal level, across the table over a cup of hot coffee on a cold and windy day. They are simply inspiring!–Lewis C. Forrest, Chair, The Friends of the Outer Banks History Center.
TO ORDER: National Book Network, Tel: (800) 462-6420, Fax: (800) 338-4550 customercare@nbnbooks.com Current sale outlets: Amazon, Google Books, Barnes and Noble, Good Reads, Target, Thrift Books, National Book Network, Vital Source, Kindle Store and Books-A-Million. Also Our State Magazine shop. Internationally, it is available from Renaud-Bray (France), Rakuten Kobo (Canada), Billigkroken ARK Blog (Norway), Amazon.com.uk (Great Britain), Amazon.es (Spain), Amazon.it (Italy), Bol.com (The Hague, Netherlands), Rakuten.co.jp (Japan), Book Depository (UK), Mighty Ape (New Zealand), Adlibris (Finland), JPC (Germany), and Coinfo Book Service in Australia.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media