Growing Up in Duck: Stanley Beacham's Story

For the latest in our Icons of the Outer Banks series, we are honored to be able to share Mr. Stanley Beacham’s story of growing up in Duck, North Carolina. In this series, we tell the stories of fishermen, historians, lifesavers, and trailblazers who have played a significant role in shaping the area’s past, present, and future. Stanley is an 88-year-old resident of Manteo and reflected on his childhood growing up in Duck.

Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station (photo taken by the Wright Brothers). Credit: Library of Congress

Family History

His family, who has Scotch-Irish ancestry, has a history of serving in the Coast Guard. Both his grandfather and father served at Lifesaving Stations along the Outer Banks. His mother was born at the Wash Woods Lifesaving Station, on the 4×4 Beach of Corolla. Other relatives were born on the Island Farm in Manteo and built shad boats, which later became North Carolina’s State Boat.

Source: NPS

His family was on the Outer Banks when the Wright Brothers came to town. Stanley remembers that many people were skeptical of them and their dream of being first in flight. His grandfather, father, and their family’s dog can be spotted in a picture with the Wright Brothers. The photo, taken by John T. Daniel, was taken on Orville’s camera.

Stanley was born at Paul Gamiel Hill Lifesaving Station in Duck, and is one of eight siblings. One of his favorite things to do with his brother would be to shoot ducks from their kitchen window.

World War II on the Outer Banks

While Stanley was growing up, World War II was happening. Many people think the war was fought in Europe or on islands in the Pacific. However, one of the most violent naval battles was fought off the shores of the Outer Banks. During the Battle of the Atlantic, in 1942, German U-boats sank over 400 ships off the North Carolina coast. The fighting was so intense that the Outer Banks was called “Torpedo Junction”.

Due to the tragic things Stanley witnessed as a child, he was not able to talk about it for a while. The things that he saw left bad memories for years to come. His family lived 180 yards from the beach, and were not allowed to go on the beach until Coast Guardsmen patrolled. They were searching along the beach for bodies that had washed ashore.

Stanley remembers the somber look on family members who had come to identify or collect their loved ones. His father, who served thirty years in the Coast Guard, saw over 40 ships sunk by the Germans.

Once the patrol was finished, he and his brothers would go search for other items that might have washed up. They often found luxurious items, such as lemons, bananas, or canned goods. Stanley remembers the first banana that he ever ate, it had washed up on the beach, a whole line of them, and they brought them home and waited until they ripened.

If you are interested in learning more about WW2 on the Outer Banks, Stanley recommends reading, “War Zone: World War II off the NC Coast”.

The only time that Stanley did not live on the Outer Banks was during his 20-year service to the Coast Guard. He served in Ocracoke, Virginia, and Alaska. He and his wife, Mrs. Nancy, met at his home in Kitty Hawk where she was a nurse, and her father was once the only doctor in Dare County.

Stanley’s recommendations for visiting the Outer Banks

If it’s your first time visiting the Outer Banks, Stanley reminds you that this is the Land of New Beginnings. He shared that it is worth it to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial and watch the Lost Colony Play, to be able to learn more about the history of the Outer Banks.

At Twiddy & Company, our passion for historic buildings is much more about people than it is about the buildings themselves. We have been preserving a collection of special buildings with authentic links to our past. The collection includes the original Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station (now located in Corolla), the Wash Woods Station (on the 4×4 Beach), and other buildings in the historic Corolla Village. Both Lifesaving Stations are open to the public, so next time you are in the area, feel free to drop in and view the historic buildings.