[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 59 (Friday, May 10, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E774-E775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FORT WORDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMAN D. DICKS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 2002

  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, this weekend we are celebrating the 
Centennial of Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington, and I would 
like to take this opportunity to mark this occasion here in the House 
of Representatives. Fort Worden is a wonderful piece of our nation's 
history, first established on May 14, 1902 as part of a series of 
installations designed to provide protection along Puget

[[Page E775]]

Sound waters for the important naval Shipyard in Bremerton. It was 
named for Admiral John L. Worden, who was the commander of the 
battleship Monitor in the famous Civil War battle with the Confederate 
ship Merrimac. The Fort was later designated as the headquarters for 
the harbor defenses for Puget Sound, and it was fortified with heavy 
gun batteries and defensive structures. During World War II, the Fort 
served as home to the Army's 14th Coast Artillery Regiment and the 
Washington National Guard's 248th Regiment.
  Fort Worden's military role diminished in the 1940's, and it was 
decommissioned as an active military post in 1953, though various 
limited Navy and Army functions continued for some years after. It 
later served as home to a Treatment Center for juvenile delinquents, 
operated by the State of Washington, before it was finally acquired by 
the State and turned into a State Park in 1973. The old Fort buildings 
have been transformed into a Conference Center, and the site offers 
ample opportunity for recreation and camping. Having been listed on the 
National Register of Historic Places, it now serves as one of the most 
picturesque and stately locations in the State of Washington. In fact, 
I am sure many of my colleagues can recall the views of the Fort's 
classic old white buildings in the feature movie ``An Officer and a 
Gentleman,'' as Fort Worden served as the film's backdrop in 1981.
  Today, Fort Worden remains a gathering place for people from across 
the Pacific Northwest to come for educational, cultural and arts 
programs, as well as recreational activities. It is a link to our past; 
a reminder of the state's very early role in the defense of our nation. 
I am proud that Fort Worden will be a partner with the Library of 
Congress on the Veterans History Project, honoring America's war 
veterans. And I am proud that so much of the military history of the 
Fort has been preserved, including the Commanding Officers Quarters 
Museum and the Pacific Coast Artillery Museum.
  On the 100th Birthday of Fort Worden, I believe it is appropriate,
  Mr. Speaker, to recognize the historical significance of this 
facility and its ongoing role in the Pacific Northwest.

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