This site is the official home of the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation. Click here to learn
more about the Foundation and it aims.
This site is dedicated to Delaware military history. It is meant to be a collaborative effort. If you'd like to make a
contribution to recording the military heritage of Delaware, please contact us at Kennard.Wiggins@gmail.com.
We're always eager to record more of our history, or to make it more accurate.
Contents:
People - Biographies and profiles of Delawareans who have made military history.
Places- History of fortifications, bases, camps, armories, and other military locations
Organizations - The military components and units of Delaware
Sources - Places where you can learn more, research libraries, bibliographies, links to other sites
Arms - the weapons and arms used by Delawareans; ships, aircraft, vehicles and arms
Chronology - A list of events throughout Delaware History related to military people and deeds.
Would you like to know more?
We recommend the following books available at local Delaware bookstores and from Arcadia Publishing.
Delaware Air National Guard
The Delaware Air National Guard got its start when a group of World War II veterans formed a new National
Guard unit composed of surplus airplanes, combat experience, a measure of hard work, camaraderie, and fun.
Some called this assemblage a gentleman’s flying club, but in a few short years, it was tested for the first time in
the Korean War. Since then, the Delaware Air National Guard has flown and fought in almost every corner of the
globe. It answered the call in Vietnam, the Middle East, the Balkans, and most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Celebrating 60 years of service, it has become a well-known local institution. The “Blue Hen Air Force” has
evolved into a professional organization that shoulders a significant operational role for the U.S. Air Force and
serves as a versatile emergency resource for the state of Delaware.
Delaware Army National Guard
The Delaware National Guard traces its roots to 1655, when the Swedish Colonial government formed a militia to
defend itself. That tradition carried through Dutch and then English control of the colony. The militia served in
all five French and Indian Wars and then distinguished itself during the Revolutionary War as the First Delaware
Regiment of the Continental Army, earning its "Blue Hen" nickname. The Delaware militia continued to serve in
every major war, and currently it remains in the forefront. Images of America: Delaware Army National Guard
presents images of this fabled organization that survived from the Spanish-American War to the present. The
people, places, equipment, and facilities of the Delaware National Guard are illustrated in this compilation of
historic photographs from the collection of the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation.
Dover Air Force Base
Dover Air Force Base is the largest aerial port in the United States and home to gigantic jet air transports that are
lifelines for our modern military. It started as a municipal airport and has grown and expanded nearly
continuously since opening a week after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Its saga is the story of the evolution of
the U.S. Air Force from World War II to the present. The pictures in Images of Aviation: Dover Air Force Base
represent the thousands of people who called Dover AFB their home, the hundreds of aircraft that have been
assigned there, and the dozens of various missions assigned to the facility over the past seven decades. Over 200
vintage photographs from the archives of the Air Mobility Museum and other sources provide a sampling of the
way it was at Dover Air Force Base through the years.
Delaware Aviation
For such as small state, Delaware has a fascinating aviation history. Delaware counts aircraft from the smallest,
like the 1910 "Delaplane" to the largest, the USAF C-5 Galaxy airlifter, among its rich variety. Numerous small
grass strips dotted the state in the early years of aviation, serving as an incubator for aerial progress. the state
has been the home to aircraft manufacturers, notable aviators, and aeronautical innovators and hosts military
aviation units from the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the US Air Force Reserve, and the United
States Air Force on two major bases. World War II brought the development of Dover Air Force Base, currently
the largest aerial superport in the United States. This collection of historical photographs depicts the colorful
people, the locales, the varied aircraft and the numerous milestone events that make up the history of aviation in
Delaware. Delaware Press Association 2015 Book Prizewinner for History.
Delaware in World War One
Delaware’s experience in the Great War was that of an awakening. What had merchants was rapidly transformed
into a dynamic, economically thriving society. From the immense munitions contribution of the DuPont
Company to burgeoning shipbuilding on the Wilmington waterfront, the First State took a leading role in
meeting the war’s industrial demand. It fortified coastal defenses and thwarted U-boat attacks on
its coast. Its men and women learned of valor and sacrifice as thousands of native sons fought
in Europe and daughters volunteered on the homefront. Author Kennard R. Wiggins Jr. traces
the history that changed the state forever.
Fort Delaware
Located on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware was erected to defend local ports from enemy attack but never
received or fired a shot in anger. The first earthen-work version, constructed during the War of 1812, was
followed by a second 1820s plan incorporating a masonry star design with a network of drainage ditches.
Engineering issues and a low-lying site doomed the structure; in 1831, it was irreparably damaged by fire. A new
plan created a more substantial fortification still standing to this day. Fort Delaware evolved into a well-
established community that transformed from protector to notorious Civil War prison camp. Most widely known
as a prison, it subsequently served in lesser roles through three more conflicts. Images of America: Fort Delaware
unifies an amazing pictorial record of Fort Delaware's historical timeline. The story is not only of active duty but
its rescue from abandonment and subsequent successful preservation work.
Fort DuPont
Fort DuPont is named in honor of Rear Adm. Samuel Francis Du Pont and located on the Reeden Point tract,
land initially granted to Henry Ward in 1675. Fort DuPont originated during the Civil War as a heavily armed
earthwork fortification. In 1864, Sgt. Bishop Crumrine wrote, “these guns command the channel and could blow
to atoms any vessel rash enough to attempt to pass.” In the decades to follow, the battery at Delaware City was
gradually modernized into a formidable military post that remained active through World War II. Declared
surplus, the site reopened in 1948 as the Governor Bacon Health Center. By 1996, over 300 acres were
reestablished as Fort DuPont State Park.
more about the Foundation and it aims.
This site is dedicated to Delaware military history. It is meant to be a collaborative effort. If you'd like to make a
contribution to recording the military heritage of Delaware, please contact us at Kennard.Wiggins@gmail.com.
We're always eager to record more of our history, or to make it more accurate.
Contents:
People - Biographies and profiles of Delawareans who have made military history.
Places- History of fortifications, bases, camps, armories, and other military locations
Organizations - The military components and units of Delaware
Sources - Places where you can learn more, research libraries, bibliographies, links to other sites
Arms - the weapons and arms used by Delawareans; ships, aircraft, vehicles and arms
Chronology - A list of events throughout Delaware History related to military people and deeds.
Would you like to know more?
We recommend the following books available at local Delaware bookstores and from Arcadia Publishing.
Delaware Air National Guard
The Delaware Air National Guard got its start when a group of World War II veterans formed a new National
Guard unit composed of surplus airplanes, combat experience, a measure of hard work, camaraderie, and fun.
Some called this assemblage a gentleman’s flying club, but in a few short years, it was tested for the first time in
the Korean War. Since then, the Delaware Air National Guard has flown and fought in almost every corner of the
globe. It answered the call in Vietnam, the Middle East, the Balkans, and most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Celebrating 60 years of service, it has become a well-known local institution. The “Blue Hen Air Force” has
evolved into a professional organization that shoulders a significant operational role for the U.S. Air Force and
serves as a versatile emergency resource for the state of Delaware.
Delaware Army National Guard
The Delaware National Guard traces its roots to 1655, when the Swedish Colonial government formed a militia to
defend itself. That tradition carried through Dutch and then English control of the colony. The militia served in
all five French and Indian Wars and then distinguished itself during the Revolutionary War as the First Delaware
Regiment of the Continental Army, earning its "Blue Hen" nickname. The Delaware militia continued to serve in
every major war, and currently it remains in the forefront. Images of America: Delaware Army National Guard
presents images of this fabled organization that survived from the Spanish-American War to the present. The
people, places, equipment, and facilities of the Delaware National Guard are illustrated in this compilation of
historic photographs from the collection of the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation.
Dover Air Force Base
Dover Air Force Base is the largest aerial port in the United States and home to gigantic jet air transports that are
lifelines for our modern military. It started as a municipal airport and has grown and expanded nearly
continuously since opening a week after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Its saga is the story of the evolution of
the U.S. Air Force from World War II to the present. The pictures in Images of Aviation: Dover Air Force Base
represent the thousands of people who called Dover AFB their home, the hundreds of aircraft that have been
assigned there, and the dozens of various missions assigned to the facility over the past seven decades. Over 200
vintage photographs from the archives of the Air Mobility Museum and other sources provide a sampling of the
way it was at Dover Air Force Base through the years.
Delaware Aviation
For such as small state, Delaware has a fascinating aviation history. Delaware counts aircraft from the smallest,
like the 1910 "Delaplane" to the largest, the USAF C-5 Galaxy airlifter, among its rich variety. Numerous small
grass strips dotted the state in the early years of aviation, serving as an incubator for aerial progress. the state
has been the home to aircraft manufacturers, notable aviators, and aeronautical innovators and hosts military
aviation units from the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the US Air Force Reserve, and the United
States Air Force on two major bases. World War II brought the development of Dover Air Force Base, currently
the largest aerial superport in the United States. This collection of historical photographs depicts the colorful
people, the locales, the varied aircraft and the numerous milestone events that make up the history of aviation in
Delaware. Delaware Press Association 2015 Book Prizewinner for History.
Delaware in World War One
Delaware’s experience in the Great War was that of an awakening. What had merchants was rapidly transformed
into a dynamic, economically thriving society. From the immense munitions contribution of the DuPont
Company to burgeoning shipbuilding on the Wilmington waterfront, the First State took a leading role in
meeting the war’s industrial demand. It fortified coastal defenses and thwarted U-boat attacks on
its coast. Its men and women learned of valor and sacrifice as thousands of native sons fought
in Europe and daughters volunteered on the homefront. Author Kennard R. Wiggins Jr. traces
the history that changed the state forever.
Fort Delaware
Located on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware was erected to defend local ports from enemy attack but never
received or fired a shot in anger. The first earthen-work version, constructed during the War of 1812, was
followed by a second 1820s plan incorporating a masonry star design with a network of drainage ditches.
Engineering issues and a low-lying site doomed the structure; in 1831, it was irreparably damaged by fire. A new
plan created a more substantial fortification still standing to this day. Fort Delaware evolved into a well-
established community that transformed from protector to notorious Civil War prison camp. Most widely known
as a prison, it subsequently served in lesser roles through three more conflicts. Images of America: Fort Delaware
unifies an amazing pictorial record of Fort Delaware's historical timeline. The story is not only of active duty but
its rescue from abandonment and subsequent successful preservation work.
Fort DuPont
Fort DuPont is named in honor of Rear Adm. Samuel Francis Du Pont and located on the Reeden Point tract,
land initially granted to Henry Ward in 1675. Fort DuPont originated during the Civil War as a heavily armed
earthwork fortification. In 1864, Sgt. Bishop Crumrine wrote, “these guns command the channel and could blow
to atoms any vessel rash enough to attempt to pass.” In the decades to follow, the battery at Delaware City was
gradually modernized into a formidable military post that remained active through World War II. Declared
surplus, the site reopened in 1948 as the Governor Bacon Health Center. By 1996, over 300 acres were
reestablished as Fort DuPont State Park.
| Delaware Military History |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Delaware Military History |
See our World War I Special edition Including a chronology, a list of war dead, stories of the USS Delaware, the 59th Infantry Pioneers, Pirates in Delaware Waters and more. Click Here |
Click here to learn more about our annual Military Heritage Day event September 24/25 |