European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 01, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse A drawing depicts a key civil War Battle at fort Stevens named after Brig. Gen. Isaac i. Stevens left. Rebel forces were turned Back thus sparing the capital. To ctr " a y 4w\i i. M by Marc Huet staff writer military history and civil Wai buffs will find a tour of the nation s capital profitable since this area probably has More forts from that Era per Square mile both old and new than any other place in the nation. Most of the forts were built during the civil War when the Washington area was a Battleground Between the North and the South. Since then Many of the forts have been turned into outdoor recreation areas some have lost the Battle of the Bulldozer and now Are part of the Vir Ginia and Maryland suburbs and some still form a vital part of the National defense. Fort Mcnair in the District of Columbia is one of the oldest in the after the american revolution it was built to defend the new capita against an invasion coming up the Potomac River. Today it is an important part of the military education sys tem As Home of lie National War col lege the Industrial College of the armed forces and the inter american defens College. Forts Belvoir and myer in nearby Virginia Are equally important but in21 different Way. Belvoir is known o All Engineer Sas the Engineer Tenter a school oct and research and development Labora tories As Well As the combat develop ments remd Davison Airfield and the during West Point prep school. First troops came to Belvoir world War i. Fort myer like most of the old forts was established in 1863 to guard the capital. Then it was called fort Whipple after maj. Gen. A. W. Whipple. In 1881 it was renamed fort myer to Honor Brig. Gen. Albert j. Myer the first chief signal officer and father of the signal corps. Overlooking the Pentagon Arlington National cemetery and the District fort myer is noted As the Birthplace of the signal corps military aviation scene of the first military test flight by Orville Wright in 1908 the weather Bureau and Home of the army s great and near great from the chief of staff and his senior assistants to the 1st in reinforced of the 3rd inf regt old guar the oldest infantry outfit in the army and on to the Tri service enlisted Barracks for men assigned to the Penta gon and other nearby installations. The old guard incidentally is some times known As the president s own for its role As presidential escort. It also guards the Tomb of the unknowns at Arlington. Besides ceremonial duties the six companies of the battalion five at myer and a sixth at Mcnair main Tain their combat readiness through periodic Field duty. Largest of the forts is 50-year-Oldfort Meade with 13,500 acres and some 45,000 military and civilians who live work or regularly use its of the first army the Here s the 1863 layout of fort Whipple later to become fort myer. Page 12 the stars and stripes sunday o
