U.S. Army helicoper hoists beacon off of Morro Rock.
May 5, 1965
It was quite a process to install a new beacon at the Morro Bay harbor mouth. I remember as a kid visiting Morro Bay and hearing the mournful sound of the fog horn when heavy overcast rolled in. The salt air and at times heavy storm waves take a toll on any equipment placed at the end of the breakwater. The Coast Guard used to staff the harbor with two Cape class cutters. Budgets have changed and so has the type of vessel. I am told that the correct term for the current vessel is “self righting”, don’t call it a “rollover” thank you very much.
I couldn’t find an article to go with the photo of the beacon being dropped into place by the U.S. Army helicopter.
Quoting from the photo caption that ran after the beacon was operational:
Safeguard for mariners
Newly operational harbor beacon, left, stands at the entrance to Morro Bay as an aid to vessels and fisherman off the Central Coast. Installed by the Coast Guard, it has a low frequency radio beacon, a light visible at least 10 miles, and a foghorn. Lt. (jg) Raymond Bland, right, stands on bridge of Coast Guard Cutter Cape Porpoise, one of the many vessels which will make use of the mariners’ aid. Bland and other Coast Guard officials have expressed thanks for the help given the project by the Morro Bay community, the county harbor office, the U.S. Army and others.
Now with modern GPS location devices this seems old school. Anyone have stories about the harbor beacon?
Thanks to reader Joe Dunlap who found this image in the High School Yearbook from 1965.
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HI David,
Great picture and story. I have a photo of the beginning of the flight, which began at the parking lot of Morro Bay High School. The beacon was brought in by flat bed truck and deposited there that morning. Sometime later that day, I think around lunchtime, classes were dismissed so that we could watch as the helicopter came in, hooked up to the cables and lifted off, beginning the short hop to the end of the breakwater. Someone on the yearbook staff for the class of 65 took the picture and placed it into a collage page. I have scanned and cropped it to web page size. If you would like a copy for yourself or to use here, send me an email and Ill send it to you.
Joe Dunlap