"Our Hometown" Glynn County: St. Simons Coast Guard Station

Since its beginning, the United States Coast Guard has played a major role in protecting our waters and keeping our country safe.

The Coast Guardsmen on St. Simons had their first watch back in 1937.

But as news three's Meredith Ley shows us in tonight's our hometown Glynn County, it wasn't until WWII hit our coast that their lives would be turned upside down. 

The Coast Guard saying goes, ‘You have to go out, but you do not have to come back,’ but in most cases, they always do.

 As a docent at the St. Simons Coast Guard Museum, Tish Searcy spends her day taking folks on a journey back through time and a day in the life of a St. Simons Coastie.

“I think they were a unique brand of person that enjoyed the outdoors they enjoyed the water and they knew they had a great service to our country that many people didn’t realize.”

The museum is full of interactive displays, but it wasn’t always fun and games here at the Guard station.

“It was first commissioned back in 1933 by President Roosevelt and it was just one of 45 in the country.” 

Under the Treasury Department, duties for the Guardsmen included search and rescue of missing fisherman, boaters and swimmers--- that is until 1941 and the outbreak of World War Two. 

The following year, the unthinkable happened. The war came home to the coast of Georgia.

“German U-boats sunk two American oil tankers on two separate occasions; The SS Oklahoma and the Esso Baton Rouge. The guards helped with the rescue along with some private citizens on Jekyll.”

In all 22 men lost their lives in the attacks. It was what they found on the Germans that caused them to change the way they patrolled.

“We have reports that the Germans were found actually with theater tickets in their pockets. Where they had slipped ashore and gone in to the theater.  They then began to guard the waters with “Dogs for defense” and marsh ponies which are indigenous to the area.”

Throughout the years, the guards experienced lots of adventure and Tish says is the bond they formed that keeps them coming back.

“We had a gentleman come in recently this summer who was real nostalgic, and he was looking around and said, ‘this is where his buddy Opossum’s bunk was. So it gives me great pleasure when they come.”

They all have their stories, but nothing beats a tale of romance.

“We have some stories about a young Coastie who was standing guard and saw a real pretty girl on the beach, so he told his buddy, ‘I’m going to marry that girl someday’, and sure enough he did.”

Richard and Virginia Goebel later had 6 children and retired in Brunswick. They have since passed but their love story lives on at the museum. 

The Coast Guard Station was closed and in disrepair for 20 years, until the Georgia Coastal Historical Society took it over 5 years ago.  Now it's as good as new.