Good Day
Last year's DDD was a great success. This coming year is either the 20th or 21st Anniversary of our being at Fort Miles.
The coming year will offer again a great Delaware Defenders Day, or as we used to call it, Delaware goes to War.
The date so you can set it aside is 25 April. Yes we are again at the last weekend in April. This has long been a goal with the unit. More details will come as they are worked out.
The folks at Fort Miles have several objectives they would like to achieve for the next event.
The state is going to have a training weekend at the Fort the weekend of 20-121 March.
The best part is that we would be able to stay in the barracks. The parks under Kaitlyn are working to create a part of 607 as it would have been in 1942. This is an actual barracks recreation. They apparently have enough metal style beds and are brining the other gear, foot lockers etc. There is also a plan to have the wood/coal stoves operational. The 1252SCSU-QMC does have a portable mess hall and meals will be on site.
No one goes hungry in our events.
Topics covered will include what the Towers were and how they were used. We need more trained folks in that position.
One of the goals is to educate more folks on the Towers and what they did.
We need to have a trained crew to fire the 3 inch. While many of us consider this training superfluous given it was the FMHDD guys who worked out the firing procedures and even made the shells used, the state runs the thing. We don't really have much choice if we want to include that in our duties.
This should be a great weekend.
More details will be available as they are worked out.
Registration for that will handled by the state not by the FMHDD personnel.
We are working on making registration easier by using Google docs. Which for me anyway is way worse than changing a distributor or a differential on a GPW. Kaitlyn is assisting.,
The FMHDD is working on becoming a Friends of the Park status. Supposedly this makes signing up easier. More to follow here.
Donald G Hattier DC
MSGT NCOIC
1252 SCSU-QMC
Fort Miles Del
PS as always, if I made a typo, please email me. The vision is not what it used to be. That and I never could type.
24 April 2024
In 2023 we had great press coverage. This included a TV segment which is on the link below.
If anyone wonders how far our reach to support Fort Miles is, just realize that all of Delmarva has access to this broadcast.
Thank you to Tom Minton for sending me this link.
Many of you have noticed over the years there have been many different examples of United States Heavy Armor at Fort Miles. These are generously loaned by Big Mike in PA and delivered and cared for by the kind folks at the 903rd Heavy Automotive Maintenace Battalion.
For 2025, we had a Sherman tank, early dry model. This is a change from the Fury tank but allows for more folks to get in the tank and really see.
The public had a chance for an interior tour for a $20.00 donation. This was new for this year. Re-enactors had a chance for a tour Friday at no charge.
Fort Miles has had everything from DUKWs to a Stuart Kangaroo to an M18 HellCat Tank Destroyer to British Sextons. Recently Mike from Wheels of liberation added an M10 to his collection.
As a plug for his group, Wheels of Liberation, is having an open house in late June. They have over 40 pieces of outstandingly restored equipment from many countries that served to rid the world of the NAZI menace. While the Museum is from the Polish perspective, the event will accommodate any unit. They have 42 Acres and is a grand place to run your military vehicle. Cooking is done by the Harbor Defenses of the Delaware Mess Hall section and as always will meet your standards!!
Go to www.wheelsofLiberation.org for more information
Mike and his group at Wheels of Liberation have been very generous of their time and resources is allowing us at Fort Miles to share their equipment.
In total this event featured 33 WW2 vehicles in multiple configurations. We can always use more; just remember they need to be reasonably correct to the period. That means no WC etc. with modern super-size tires. Basic NDCC or NDT only. Classic period passenger cars and trucks are invited as well. Again, email me please so we can add your name to the motor pool.
There have been many changes in the Fort Miles structure since its inception almost 20 years ago. The Battery 519 is now an official museum and has its own website.
Currently the museum site can be gleaned from the Fort Miles Historic Association website.
Photo date and author unknown.
Original 1940, note the one year enlistment, soon to be for the duration. Thank you, Scott Wallen, for this original.