"Winchester Bay" - Keith R. Bridgman - 2006:...The people who call this place home are of an uncommon breed with a common bond…a bond forged by the struggles of life against the sea, offset within a rustic beauty rarely surpassed. ...
The first time I ventured into Winchester Bay, Oregon I was struck with its rustic simplicity and how it reflected the essence of America, and since that time I have come to understand the significance and importance those few, sometimes tumultuous, years had on my life. I’ve often been asked, how is it a kid from the landlocked state of Oklahoma found his way to this part of the world? It was November, 1973. I was twenty-one, assigned to my first U.S. Coast Guard duty station fresh out of boot camp, and as fate would have it, this unassuming, lost corner of America is where I began my four years of military service.
A few years prior to that day, by chance I had watched two isolated episodes of ‘Lassie’, a popular family oriented television program of the 1960’s, which featured Winchester Bay and the Umpqua River - U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat station located there. The images of those magnificent 44 foot motor lifeboats crashing through the surf with Chief McAdams at the helm captured my imagination, and over the next few years as I stumbled through three years of college, and was looking for some adventure, they played a significant role in deciding my future.
I never dreamed I would actually be stationed at that same unit much less actually meet and talk to Chief McAdams and some of the crew who were featured on that show. But it happened. McAdams had moved on to other assignments before I arrived, but, I did run across him a time or two and I must admit now what I could not back then…I was in awe of not only the man, but the image as well.
Even today, well over thirty years later, those few years spent in Winchester Bay influence who I am. I speak of them often to friends, strangers, and family…for you see, Winchester Bay is not just some quaint little coastal town I happened to pass through. It became a large part of my history and even though I have not returned in all those years, I feel as though a part of me still resides there moving amongst the piers, the dunes, and riding the waves on those 44’s.
When I was a younger man, as I think back on it now, it was that unique trust that existed between the commercial and charter boat skippers of Winchester Bay and the crew of the Umpqua River station that imparted a most lasting impression. I still think of those years as the defining moment in my young adult life. If I were given the opportunity to speak to the current crew of the Coast Guard station I would say to them…make the most of the time you have here, for time passes quickly and someday you will look back to remember…and, even though you may not realize it now, you will discover that these days were some of the best years of your life. Windows of opportunity are rare events and come your way in random, isolated moments, so cling to those times…these days…and use them to build a foundation for life. Yours is a unique opportunity…so live it wisely…and earn the right to say you were a part of something only a few have ever experienced.
The Umpqua River Lighthouse, which the Coast Guard station was responsible for at that time, was my favorite place and I often volunteered for cleanup duty just so I could spend time inside its rustic walls and climb the spiral staircase to view the ‘Bar’ from its heights. I wondered what kind of wisdom it may have to offer if it could speak as it has endured and witnessed well over a hundred years of life pass beneath its red and white beams. I can still hear and feel its unique rumble as the domed prism slowly rotated on the worn gears of its precision track. Its beams served to guide seafaring sailors to a safe haven, and ride the air currents as a pathway and connection to the past.
Winchester Bay and that old lighthouse in many ways are intertwined in history and purpose. The people who call this place home are of an uncommon breed with a common bond…a bond forged by the struggles of life against the sea, staged within a rustic beauty rarely surpassed. It is the trust and honor of those who have shared in this struggle over the years that join all who have lived here with a unique connection of time and place. Those of us few who have served at Umpqua River are connected as well...connected through a mission that is timeless...a spirit that dwells amongst those who seek adventure...and a sense of accomplishment for a difficult job well done.
An abundance of life has passed through this small corner of America and not unlike the tides that role in, then out again, new lives come and go, and new experiences evolve, but the essence of Winchester Bay remains as it has always been...a lost corner of America...part of the heart and soul of who we are as a nation. For those who visit, you will discover that a small part of this community always existed inside of you…somewhere...and when you leave, you will take a small portion of it with you …and somewhere amongst the dunes and piers…a part of you will remain.
Keith R. Bridgman
