Flags waved under an unseasonably hot sun, while the Sussex Technical High School marching band waited to lead a parade around The Circle in Georgetown. Wearing military hats or full military uniform, veterans watched as speakers took their turn at the podium. It was a good old-fashioned salute to America’s heroes. But the guest of honor stood about three blocks away on the railroad tracks.
The celebration, which drew more than 1,000 people, was prompted by the 16-inch gun barrel from the USS Missouri, which had paused en route from Norfolk, Va., to Cape Henlopen State Park. Eventually, the 66-foot-long, 120-ton gun will have a place of honor on the park’s Fort Miles Historical Area. And if all goes as planned, it will be an attraction near a planned museum in Battery 519, once part of the U.S. Army post that protected the coast during World War II.
Fort Miles Historical Assoc. President Gary Wray discusses securing one of the USS Missouri’s World War II era 16 inch guns for Fort Miles.
Fort Miles Historical Assoc. President Gary Wray discusses securing one of the USS Missouri’s World War II era 16 inch guns for Fort Miles.
For Gary Wray, president of the Fort Miles Historical Association, which spearheaded the effort to bring the gun to Delaware, it was a happy day. “It worked out pretty much the way we wanted it to work out,” Wray said. “Everyone’s been very, very, very supportive. Once they find out what it is [about], they’ve just jumped on it like crazy.”
Fort Miles once contained two 16-inch guns like this one in Battery Smith and two 12-inch guns in Battery 519. They were scrapped when the fort was no longer needed for defense. In an effort to put similar guns in place, the historical association and its partners have looked to old battleships. It’s not such a stretch.
“We’re pretty sure that the actual rifles at Fort Miles were Navy rifles,” Wray said. “Navy guns tend to be lighter.” A 12-inch gun from the USS Wyoming is already nestled into Battery 519.
The USS Missouri, a sister ship to the USS New Jersey in Camden, N.J., was in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, when the Japanese surrendered. Its big gun primarily fired at land targets. “That barrel shot at Iwo Jima, Okinawa. That barrel was actually shot at Korea. It was good for about 300 shots,” Wray said. “Then it was time to ‘re-sleeve’ it inside. We think it’s never been re-sleeved.”
Reclining on its cradle on the tracks on Monday, the gun looked its age. Rust spotted its base and sides. Yet it was still formidable. “I took my daughter to see it and she was amazed that something like that could go on a boat and wouldn’t sink it,” joked Georgetown Mayor Brian Pettyjohn at the Monday ceremony.
The event included a flyover by a World War II-era Russian YAK9 fighter plane and cannon fire that startled the crowd. Along with the band, the parade included a cadre of motorcycles, ridden by American Legion Post 28 riders. A number of veterans, many wearing their Army or Navy hats or jackets, were in attendance. Some were in wheelchairs; others had walkers or used canes. They mingled with re-enactors in World War II dress—as well as 19th-century garb.
Why was the event held in Georgetown? “Sussex County Council gave us $10,000 right at the time we really needed the money,” Wray said. “They were very supportive of the whole thing.”
The Delaware Tourism Office also provided funds. “Once we get that gun set up, there will be a buzz all over the country,” Wray said. “If you live in Philadelphia or New York and can’t get out to Pearl Harbor, but want to see a piece of Word War II—not just any piece but one there the day the Japanese surrendered—go to Cape Henlopen State Park and have a nice weekend.”
Linda Parkwoski, director of tourism, would agree. “It another asset in the tourism industry,” she said in her remarks to the crowd. “It will enhance our offerings to bring more people interested in World War II history to Delaware.”
The gun and three shells were donated, but transporting it will cost about $115,000 when the project is complete, Wray said. The effort involved three railway companies and a trip across the Chesapeake Bay.
The next phase will include cleaning the gun and setting up a foundation to care for it. The museum is also part of the next phase. “It’s going to happen,” Wray said confidently of the venue. “Sooner rather than later.” (See previous coverage here)
The gun on 8:30 a.m. today was scheduled to make the 2 ½-hour railway trip to Lewes for a brief stop at the old Queen Anne’s Railroad near the Lewes Public Library. It will continue on to the Cape Shores development. On Wednesday, a crane will lift it onto a tractor-trailer for the trip into the park.
The public can view it at 1 p.m. on April 28. “That’s when we break a champagne bottle over her and welcome her permanently to the state of Delaware,” Wray said.
