Military Heritage and Veterans’ Experiences on the Outer Banks of North Carolina

The Outer Banks has a deep connection to veterans and active-duty service members, reflected throughout the community’s culture. Lifesaving Service surfmen at Kill Devil Hills played an important role in helping the Wright Brothers conduct their experiments. In 1923, Army Brigadier General Billy Mitchell carried out strategic air power demonstrations that sank battleships off Hatteras. During World War II, the Navy, Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol protected the shores of the Outer Banks and defended Allied shipping lanes against submarine attacks. Reminders of this history remain throughout the region.

Events Ahead

Outer Banks Veterans Week

Dare Arts
Nov 6, 2026 - Nov 14, 2026

History Surrounds Us

Chicamacomico Coast Guard Museum

The Chicamacomico Life Saving Station began in 1874 and served as a predecessor to the modern U.S. Coast Guard before becoming part of it in 1915. Its distinctive architecture, along with special summer programs and family events, makes it a notable place to explore.

Located in the village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station includes two stations and five outbuildings. It is the most complete surviving life-saving station site in North Carolina and ranks among the nation’s most complete sites. The location also operates as a museum.

The public can visit from mid-April through November. Apparatus Drill Reenactments take place weekly May through September, weather permitting.

Torpedo Alley and Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

More than 1,500 shipwrecks rest along the seafloor, giving the Outer Banks' coast its reputation as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic". Among these wrecks are Uboats from WWI and II, with surviving remnants viewable at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (currently closed until early 2024 for renovations) typically presents programming year round for visitors of every age. Its subjects include seafood cooking, coastal history and culture, Civil War and WWII talks, maritime art and music, the history of fishing, life-saving accounts, and local language.

Civil War Trail

The Dare County Civil War Trail extends through Roanoke Island and Hatteras Island, offering a way to encounter an important period in The Outer Banks' history. Historical monuments and displays along the route include the Battle of Chicamacomico Races, where the Confederacy tried to take Hatteras Island back from the Union, as well as the Freedman's Colony.

Near Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton, visitors can see the British Cemetery. The site contains the war graves of fallen allies from WWII who were casualties of Uboat attack.

Civil Air Patrol Museum at Dare County Regional Airport

At the Dare County Regional Airport Museum on Roanoke Island, the Operations Room features photographs and documents from the pre-WW2 era. Much of this material centers on Dave Driskill, a local barnstormer, air service operator, National Park Service pilot, Kellett Autogiro test pilot, and the airport’s first manager after WW2.

The main room documents the airport’s history and its two principal WW2 tenants. Exhibits include authentic uniforms, photographs, documents, and artifacts from Civil Air Patrol Coastal Patrol Base 16 (CPB16), which operated at the site from July 1942 until August 1943. About 95% of the CAP personnel, men and women, were Tarheels.

Additional displays feature authentic uniforms, photographs, documents, and artifacts from the US Navy squadrons that received operational training at NAAS Manteo from March 1943 until the end of WW2. These include VF-17 and VF-50.

Duck Research Pier and Bombing Range at Alligator River

During WWII, Duck served as a bombing range because the area was then sparsely populated. The same land now contains the Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility on the Duck Research Pier.

Dare County also remains home to an active bombing range, Navy Dare Bombing Range, which is surrounded by Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.