[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 26, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FORT HANCOCK CENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 1996

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, June 29, 1996, the Sandy Hook 
Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area and the Sandy Hook 
Foundation will hold a celebration of Fort Hancock's first 100 years.
  It will be a great honor for me to join with New Jersey Governor 
Whitman, other elected leaders, military officials, veterans and 
community leaders in paying tribute to this beautiful and exceptional 
facility located in northeastern Monmouth County, NJ. Saturday's 
festivities will include historic military re-enactments, modern 
military equipment and personnel, children's activities, open houses 
and music, culminating in a fireworks display.
  Mr. Speaker, Fort Hancock is located on the northern tip of Sandy 
Hook, a six-and-a-half mile long peninsula between Sandy Hook Bay and 
the Atlantic Ocean. The history of Fort Hancock as an important 
military site goes back to the Revolutionary War. The original fort was 
built during the War of 1812. In 1895, army engineers at Sandy Hook had 
just finished building the first two concrete gun batteries ever 
constructed to defend an American harbor, protecting the vital shipping 
lanes of the New York-New Jersey Harbor. The next step was construction 
of housing for the several hundred soldiers needed to man the new 
emplacements. Pursuant to a general order issued by the Secretary of 
War, the fortifications at Sandy Hook were named in honor of Maj. Gen. 
Winfield Scott Hancock, who fought valiantly for the Union in the Civil 
War and was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg--General Hancock also 
ran unsuccessfully for President against James Garfield, another great 
American whose name came to be associated with the Jersey Shore.
  It was in the summer of 1896 that the plans and layout for the Fort 
Hancock facilities were developed, with construction work being 
completed in 1899. The results were remarkable, a collection of 
graceful structures of great architectural distinction, including 
Officers' Row, the Oak Club Inn, the Officers Club, a theater, an 
auditorium, a PX Club and gymnasium, as well as barracks for enlisted 
personnel. The military and civilian population averaged between 500 
and 800 during this period. Children of personnel living on post 
attended the Fort Hancock Public School. Many of these structures are 
still impressive to this day, although in some need of renovation. 
Indeed, visitors to Sandy Hook, after exploring the ocean- and bay-side 
beaches, sand dunes and other environments on the peninsula are often 
amazed to find what seems to be a ghost town on this isolated location, 
but in full view of the New York skyline.
  Fort Hancock played a major role in both of the World Wars, providing 
temporary quarters for troops departing for war in Europe, as well as 
serving as a reception center for returning personnel. In 1939, the 
King and Queen of England passed through while on a national good will 
tour, and later that year President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited 
the fort. While World War II proved to be perhaps the busiest time in 
the fort's history, the changes in military tactics and technology had 
made the fort's harbor defense role largely obsolete. However, during 
the early decades of the cold war, Fort Hancock was still used as the 
site for anti-aircraft guns and later as a Nike air defense missile 
deployment site. The fort was deactivated in 1974.
  IN 1975, the National Park Service took over the entire Sandy Hook 
peninsula, and a number of the fort buildings have been used by 
education, scientific and environmental organizations. In 1982, the 
Department of the Interior designated all of Sandy Hook as a National 
Historic Landmark.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to pay tribute to Fort 
Hancock, which has played such a proud and important role in the Jersey 
Shore and in the defense of our Nation and continues to be a popular 
destination for thousands upon thousands of visitors each year.

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