Douglas County Honors Coast Guard Members And Umpqua River Lighthouse

WINCHESTER BAY, Ore. - Douglas County commissioners recognized the service of local U.S. Coast Guard members and the people who preserve one of the county’s most recognizable coastal landmarks during a special presentation in Winchester Bay.

Commissioners Tom Kress and Tim Freeman issued proclamations Wednesday, July 29, recognizing National Coast Guard Day and National Lighthouse Day and Week. The ceremony was held at the Umpqua River Lighthouse and Coastal History Museum.

Commissioners called on Douglas County residents to honor Coast Guard personnel and recognize the historical and cultural importance of lighthouses.

“On behalf of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard serving in North Bend, Coos Bay and at Umpqua River,” Kress said. “Your professionalism, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to protecting our waterways and coastal communities do not go unnoticed.”

Kress also thanked museum employees and volunteers who help operate and preserve the Umpqua River Lighthouse, Coastal History Museum and surrounding grounds.

“This incredible facility is a true gem for Douglas County, and it continues to grow as a destination that educates, inspires and connects visitors to our coastal heritage,” Kress said.

National Coast Guard Day is observed annually on Aug. 4, marking the date in 1790 when President George Washington signed legislation authorizing the construction of 10 revenue cutter vessels. Those vessels were created to protect the young nation’s revenue and became part of the foundation of what would eventually become the U.S. Coast Guard.

The modern Coast Guard was established when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Coast Guard Act into law on Jan. 28, 1915.

Today, the Coast Guard protects ports, waterways, coastlines and maritime infrastructure while responding to emergencies, safeguarding natural and economic resources and protecting national security interests.

Freeman presented proclamation certificates to representatives from Coast Guard Station Umpqua River, the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team in Coos Bay and retired Coast Guard personnel.

Those attending included Station Umpqua River Boatswain’s Mate Senior Chief Petty Officer Jared Merloro, Executive Petty Officer and Boatswain’s Mate Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Corcoran and several Station Umpqua River crew members.

The Aids to Navigation Team was represented by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jeremy Bossinger, the officer in charge, and Machinery Technician First Class Donavan Carley.

Guests also watched a special flyby by an MH-65 Coast Guard helicopter participating in a training mission from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend.

Coast Guard Air Station North Bend and Base North Bend support 153 active-duty personnel, nine reserve personnel and five civilian employees. Station Umpqua River, located in Winchester Bay, has 43 active-duty personnel and five reserve personnel. The Aids to Navigation Team in Coos Bay has nine active-duty personnel and one reservist.

The ceremony also recognized National Lighthouse Day, observed Aug. 7, and National Lighthouse Week.

The observance commemorates Aug. 7, 1789, when Congress approved legislation supporting the establishment of lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers across the United States.

The Umpqua River Lighthouse has stood above the Douglas County coast for approximately 130 years. The 65-foot lighthouse contains a distinctive red-and-white first-order Fresnel lens manufactured in Paris in 1890.

The lens includes 24 bullseye panels made from 616 glass prisms. It remains one of the lighthouse’s most recognizable features.

The Umpqua River Lighthouse is one of 11 historic lighthouses along the Oregon Coast that have helped guide mariners for more than a century.

Freeman presented proclamation certificates to employees and volunteers who help operate the lighthouse, Coastal History Museum, gift shop and café, art gallery and whale-watching station.

Douglas County Museum Director James Davis and several museum employees, tour guides and volunteers attended the presentation.

The commissioners gave special recognition to longtime volunteer Gaylyn Bradley, a former Douglas County employee who helped establish the museum’s programs and grounds after the Coast Guard’s final lighthouse keepers left the site.

Bradley has helped design exhibits, research and develop lighthouse tours, restore facilities, landscape the grounds and promote the Umpqua River Lighthouse and Douglas County museums.

“I happened to be working for the Douglas County Parks Department when the last of the Coast Guard lighthouse keepers left,” Bradley said. “I was recruited to help establish the museum, programs and grounds. It was a wonderful time in my life, and I thoroughly enjoyed it - and still do to this day.”

Members of the Fox family also attended the ceremony during a family reunion.

In 2025, Melanie Smiley-Ybarra donated a quilt honoring her family’s connection to the Coast Guard. The quilt was created by her mother, Lira Fox Hibbon-Owen, with help from other family members.

Smiley-Ybarra’s grandfather, Myron L. Fox, served at Coast Guard Station Umpqua River during the 1940s and 1950s. Hibbon-Owen grew up in the nearby Coast Guard barracks and recalled helping clean the lighthouse’s red-and-white glass prisms.

Other members of the family later served in the Coast Guard, continuing a multigenerational tradition of service. The quilt is now displayed at the museum as a tribute to that history.

Reedsport Mayor Linda McCollum, Reedsport City Councilor Cindy Wegner and representatives from Douglas County’s Salmon Harbor Marina and Facilities Department also attended.

Residents interested in volunteering at the county’s museums can visit the Umpqua Valley Museums website or call the Douglas County Museum at 541-957-7007.

Information about Coast Guard careers and facility tours is available by contacting Station Umpqua River at 541-271-2138 or Base North Bend at 541-756-9220.