Fort Miles soldiers check the weather

The Cape Region has had wild weather from winter through the spring. From one week to another, residents don’t know if they should wear shorts or a winter jacket. Back in 1941, soldiers did their best to predict the weather. In this photograph taken by William A. Smith, three members of the 261st Coastal Artillery unit are checking the conditions. The 261st encamped in tents at Camp Henlopen, which then officially became Fort Miles in August 1941. During the next four years, these artillerymen established themselves as one of the Army's top performing coast artillery units.