The Review

Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Mosaic

Media Credit: Max McPike

Fifteen towers stand tall along the coastline in Lewes, Del., the home of historic Fort Miles. Gary Wray, the president of the Fort Miles Historical Association, says these towers are U.S. Army Fire Control Towers that protected the coastline from enemy surface ships during World War II.

"Fort Miles is one of the largest sea coast fortifications in the U.S. built to protect Philadelphia and the surrounding area," Wray says. "It was started in 1941 and ultimately, there were over 2,000 men and women stationed there."

The towers were used for artillery spotters to watch for ships and radio coordinates back to the underground plotting room. The information was then sent to fire teams who would plan the next shot.

Nearly the entire fort is underground, but during World War II it was used to fight surface ships. Wray says the fort wasn't without the occasional disturbance to citizens.

"It did create a local problem in Lewes," he says. "Two of the guns were so big that when they were fired they cracked some windows in town."

Lee Jennings, a Delaware State Park historian, says Fort Miles gave the people of Lewes an up-close look at the war, which was not taken lightly.

"They were well aware of how bad it could really be," Jennings says. "It was the last line of defense for the area and they took that very seriously. Civilians took part in a lot of the events."

During World War II, the troops never fired their guns in anger, but historically, Wray says Fort Miles held an important place in U.S. history.

"Fort Miles was essentially the first attempt at homeland security in the U.S.," he says.

Jennings says the location's legacy is about the veterans, rather than the fort itself.

"More than anything else it's the people involved that make the history," he says. "They are the heart of the story."

Michael Rogers, who maintains the Fort Miles database Fortmiles.org, says the fort's role in World War II was not necessarily as important as its impact on the troops.

"For me, the most interesting parts of the history are the memories that the veterans have today," Rogers says. "They look back on their time at Fort Miles very fondly. The people they served with and the job that they did here is something they hold very dear."

The fort was not put to rest after World War II, Wray says. The U.S. Navy came on to the base in the '50s when an underwater listening station, called a Sound Surveillance System, or SOSUS, was developed. A cable was run from the station to the continental shelf to listen for Soviet submarines.

Continued...

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