Fort Miles thanks Cape Gazette for continued coverage
I would like to thank Ron MacArthur for his excellent coverage of the Fort Miles Historical Association’s seventh annual VJ Day ceremony in the Sept. 8 edition of the Cape Gazette.
A large and respectful crowd gathered in the shadow of the USS Missouri gun barrel to help us celebrate the end of the deadliest military conflict in the history of mankind and commemorate the brave Delawareans who died while serving their country during that conflict.
This year, we also honored the members of the USS Missouri Campaign Committee for their efforts to successfully bring gun barrel 371 to Fort Miles in 2012. This historic artifact, which occupied the center position of the USS Missouri’s forward gun turret during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, forms a bookend with our artifact from the USS Arizona to signify the beginning and end of the United States’ engagement with Japan during World War II.
Following the ceremony, we invited our guests to visit the Fort Miles Museum inside Battery 519, a casemated gun battery during the war. FMHA and our partners at DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation have worked together for almost 20 years to restore and convert this historic structure into a museum that informs the public of Delaware's unique role in defending coastal Delaware and the Delaware River's key infrastructure during and after WWII.
During this fabulous journey, the Cape Gazette regularly reported on our accomplishments and showcased our various events. Attendance at our annual events continues to climb, due in no small part to coverage by the Cape Gazette. FMHA and the Fort Miles Museum are deeply grateful for your support, and we eagerly look forward to your keen reporting that informs the public of our progress as we continue to evolve the Fort Miles Museum into world-class stature.