From the Quartermaster
Fort Miles April 2025 Event
2024 was a great year This year's event will be working with the state parks Defenders of Delaware Program. The HDDHA and many other historic reenactment groups and units will be doing 1942 - 1945. The Motor Pool section will have WW2 and many post-War era vehicles on display.
This is a big event for the Fort as it draws more people in than the average State Park event. We bring more gear and vehicles for the public to see than any other event at this park.
You may arrive as early as Thursday before the event The registration fee entitles you to our usual 4 meals and a continental breakfast Sunday morning. If arriving by Friday, we have added a spaghetti dinner to the menu. There will be our cake and drinks (nonalcoholic) after the event review as in years past.
Bunking is by unit or display. All Females are considered members of the WAACs for our planning purposes. This will be assigned at arrival.
All attendees are also invited to a member only tour of the Battery 519 Friday evening.
You will also have the chance to do a members only review of the tower as it would have been in 1942, courtesy of Tom Minton.
There is nothing like these two anywhere in the UNited States. These are for our living historians and not the general public.
Share the news
The HDDLHA is always looking for new historic impressions and displays that can be added to the interpretation of the era. If you did not receive an invitation, please hit the contact button and you will be responded to.
We ask that you bring reasonable accuracy to your impression.
The biggest requirement here is that you desire to share what you have learned with the public and your fellow living historians.
Contact us and let us know.
The Surrender of the U 858
Our signature Event
Fort Miles was the site of one of the last German Uboots to surrender. The U858 surrendered on the fishing pier. More to follow
Sherman M4
Coming April 2025
We have had many armored vehicles over the years.
This year we are pleased to have the number 4 tank in the movie Fury onsite.
Finally, we have attracted a movie star to our event!
Photo is not of our tank but representative.
Photo courtesy Surviving Sherman M4A4 Tank used in the film Fury (tank-photographs.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com)
This Sherman
This particular Sherman is an example of the configuration known as the M4A4. It featured many improvements compared to the original.
No more dry ammo storage, now wet. This reduced the chance of internal explosions and was appreciated by the operators of our armor. For obvious reasons we might add.
The turrests and gear are now all cast and not riveted like the first models. Nothing like a rivet shot on the outside popping into an all steel hull for fun!!
Photo from IMDB.com
A word of thanks to Mike and his crew
Any historic vehicle is expensive. Armor is at least ten times more expensive than a regular car or truck. Even just transporting them is expensive, driving a tank from PA at 3 gallons per mile gets a bit expensive not to mention annoys a lot of other drivers.
Mike Hrycak and the Wheels of Liberation in Pennsylvania are unbelievably generous in time and money.
Please take the time to check out their Facebook page for more information.
M18 Hellcat
M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer 2022
Over the years, the HDDLHA has been able to attract many different vehicles. In years past we have had M15 half tracks, DUKWs, Kangaroo/Stuart tanks, many CCKWs, War LA France Wreckers, Diamond Ts and the odd Autocar 35 ton hauler. These are courtesy of the 903rd Heavy Automotive Battalion, a 1944 M18 Half track. This is a very nice example of a Buick made unit and was recently returned to the Nies from Belgium by Mike of Oxford, PA. Mike is generous to a fault getting us hi quality exam[les of American productivity and reliability.
Field Post Office Display
Bob Buker
Bob Buker has been able to recreate an original field post office. This is quite unique in collections. Many people do not remember the very high volumes of mail that were created during WW2, including the famous V Mail. Come and see what communications ere during the era.
For 2025
Bob is now limiting his original display due to logistic concerns. Like a lot of us his passion for preservation exceeded his ability to effectively carry and set this up. We are so fortunate to have had many years of the complete set up.
The Motor Pool
A Gathering of like Minded Souls
Starting with a July 4th parade 17 years ago, the local Historic Military Vehicle owners have come together to do parades, displays and evens beyond Fort Miles. This is the groups Mobile arm
This area alone has over 30 individual models including everything from the ubiquitous Jeep, both Ford and Willys to M35 trucks.
Headed by Navy Chief Joe Sicanavage, we can represent most eras and equipment. .
At the Event
During the event, the Cantonment area is broken into two parts.
Inside the cantonment is only WW2.
With the new parking area in place, guests will first see the modern Post War Vehicles. Our members are more than happy to share the histories and how these vehicles helped us win all conflicts.
The state has now added more food vendors for the public which is a big help to us. Those vendors are located in the main parking lot and do not interfere with the historic events.
Chapel Services
Maj. Michael Hills, Chaplain
Chaplain Hills is Always available for spiritual needs or just a place to stop and talk.
Stop by the Chaplains area. All gear displayed is original to the period.
Our event holds its Chapel Service Saturday at 0900.
Mess Hall and Chow
Lee M Jennings Memorial Mess Hall
Mess SGT Phillips is looking forward to running his mess hall again.
For 2025, Sgt Phillips will be doing a satisfying breakfast for Saturday Breakfast.
Our Fort Miles breakfast is going to be available again. That Fort Miles is now also the choice breakfast of the folks at the Wheels of Liberation event in June. Course we went up and cooked it for them with a lot help. Thank you Mess Sgt Phillips. As with all of his meals, he takes pride in keeping the troops fed and motivated.
If you have a special need, let us know in ADVANCE and we will do our best to accommodate.
Lunch will be his signature Louisiana Gumbo style sausage and rice dish. Seems like no matter how much he makes we are always short.
We may be getting a German style lunch if our German cohort Marinus Grossmeir can arrange it.
The chicken dinner last year was from Redners, yes the grocery store. This has to be the best we have ever served. No one went away hungry. There were plenty of seconds.
Sunday morning is a great Continental breakfast.
Water, bug juice and coffee are always available.
And all served in your own mess kit. Although we did learn this year the government was using paper plates in the CCC camps.
Clean Up GI Style
Courtesy of SGT Kelly, we will have the correct three barrel mess kit clean up. This is how it would have been handled at the time.