Title: Heroes of Pea Island 
Genre: Action-Adventure

Written By: Michael Terrence King
Synopsis: Pea Island Life-Saving Station was a life-saving station on Pea Island, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was the first life-saving station in the country to have an all-black crew, and it was the first in the nation to have a black man, Richard Etheridge, as commanding officer. Richard Etheridge was born a slave on January 16, 1842, the son and the property of John B. Etheridge, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Large plantations didn't exist in the Outer Banks; African Americans were relatively few, and slavery was limited. During his early life, Richard Etheridge, like most Outer Bankers, learned to work the sea, fishing, piloting boats, and combing the beach for the refuse of wrecks. Even though it was illegal to do so, his master also taught him to read and write. After the Civil War, Richard Etheridge left the service at Brazos Santiago, Texas. He returned to the Outer Banks, where he married. Etheridge made his living fishing and serving in the newly formed Life-Saving Service, first at Oregon Inlet in 1875, then at Bodie Island. Richard Etheridge was the first African American to hold the rank of keeper of a life-saving station. When he was appointed, the white surfmen refused to serve under him. Thus, although other black men had served as surfmen at Pea Island and other stations, Pea Island Station came to be manned entirely by a black keeper and crew. After countless rescues in the region, he was locally recognized by crew from the Newman (ship) for his daring rescue that night.