What Happened Off Monomoy: The Pendleton Rescue
What Happened Off Monomoy: The Pendleton Rescue
Join us for a talk with Reid Oslin, member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, author, maritime historian and lecturer on the greatest small boat rescue in U.S. Coast Guard history—an against-all-odds mission in the middle of a raging Nor’easter.
On February 18, 1952, four Coast Guardsmen from Station Chatham launched a 36-foot wooden lifeboat into 40-foot seas and 75-knot winds to search for a tanker that had split in half off Monomoy Island. What they found—and what they accomplished next—became legendary.
Battling hurricane-force winds and freezing spray, the crew located the broken SS Pendleton and rescued 32 of the 33 men aboard, bringing them safely back to Chatham. Reid Oslin brings this story to life with insight, detail, and a deep understanding of the men who answered the call.
Arrive early—join us at 4pm in the First Light Café for drinks & light bites.
BIO: Reid Oslin is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and communications watchstander at Coast Guard Station Chatham. Over 12 years as a Coast Guard watchstander, he has participated in numerous search-and-rescue operations and served in a range of Auxiliary leadership and publications roles supporting Coast Guard missions. He also spent 42 years in media relations and public affairs at Boston College before retiring to Cape Cod. He is the author of four books. Reid brings deep research and firsthand maritime knowledge to his presentation on the historic Pendleton rescue.
MVM Members: $15; Non-Members: $25
DETAILS
| Date | June 25, 2026 |
|---|---|
| From | 5:00 pm |
| To | 6:00 pm |
| Type | Talk |
| Venue | Martha’s Vineyard Museum |