West Quoddy Light Station was decommissioned on June 30, 1988. A bare flagpole mutely signals the decommissioning of the lighthouse as fog, not uncommon this time of year at West Quoddy Head, envelops the tower and distant water-bound Sail Rock. Coast Guard personnel mingle with the remaining crowd under the canopy while others partake of refreshments near the brick utility building. It is about noon on June 30, 1988, as automation has replaced 170 years of light station manned operation.