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About the FWOH Program
The volunteers of the Fort Worden Oral History Program have collected almost 300 interviews with the men and women who have served, lived, worked, or visited Fort Worden over its long history since the program’s inception in 2003. The interviews tell of the real life experiences of those who served at Fort Worden during the military era; who worked or lived here during the Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center days; or have visited, participated in activities, or worked at the fort since it became a state park conference center.
These interviews, which have been transcribed and cataloged, form a rich treasure trove of stories that should be mined for source material by historians, students, genealogists, and writers.
Interviews by Subject
- 369th EASR
- Army
- Army Families
- Army Wives
- Artillery Hill
- Atomic Bomb Tests
- Campgrounds
- Centrum
- Centrum Foundation
- Children's Games
- Closing of the Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center
- Coast Artillery-248th
- Coast Guard
- Commanding Officers
- Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden
- Cottage Parents
- Cottages
- Death
- Discipline
- Enemy Fire
- Engineer Amphibious Support Regiment (EASR)-369th
- Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment (EBSR)
- Ferries
- Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
- Fiddle tunes
- Fort Flagler
- Fort Lewis
- Fort Worden
- Fort Worden Parade Ground
- General James H. Cunningham
- Greenland
- Guns
- Hangar (Balloon)
- Harbor Entrance Control Post
- Housing
- Hydrophones
- Inchon Landing
- Isolation
- Japan
- Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center
- Korean War
- Korean War Era
- Living Conditions
- McCurdy Pavilion
- Meals
- Military Police
- Mines
- National Guard
- Navy
- Officers Row
- Park Rangers
- Point Wilson Lighthouse
- Port Townsend
- Prisoners of War
- Pusan
- Residents (Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center)
- Runaways
- Russians
- Seasickness
- Sergeants
- Shift Duty
- Ships
- Socialization
- Social Life
- Social Workers
- Staff (Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center)
- State Parks
- Strait of Juan de Fuca
- Submarines
- Target Practice
- Teachers
- Weather
- Weddings
- Wildlife
- World War II
Interviews by Category
- General (2)
- Juvenile Diagnostic & Treatment Center (47)
- Military (125)
- Washington State Parks (42)
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Recent Posts
Interview Archives
- March 2015 (6)
- February 2015 (1)
- January 2015 (1)
- December 2014 (2)
- November 2014 (3)
- October 2014 (4)
- September 2014 (1)
- July 2014 (6)
- June 2014 (7)
- May 2014 (5)
- April 2014 (1)
- January 2014 (1)
- December 2013 (1)
- November 2013 (1)
- October 2013 (1)
- September 2013 (2)
- August 2013 (3)
- July 2013 (2)
- June 2013 (6)
- May 2013 (2)
- April 2013 (1)
- March 2013 (4)
- February 2013 (5)
- January 2013 (4)
- December 2012 (7)
- November 2012 (8)
- October 2012 (2)
- September 2012 (2)
- August 2012 (8)
- July 2012 (4)
- June 2012 (4)
- May 2012 (7)
- April 2012 (6)
- March 2012 (39)
- February 2012 (49)
- January 2012 (4)
Author Archives: fwohp4481
Interview With Eugene D. Vacher
From the interview with Eugene D. Vacher of El Cajon, CA conducted by Patience Rogge by phone from the Fort Worden History Center on November 17, 2009. Mr. Vacher served at Fort Worden after World War II as the leader … Continue reading
Posted in Military
Tagged American Cemeteries in Europe, Army Band Leaders, Army Bands, Bilingual Skills, Conversations With French People, Festival of Jeanne D'Arc, French Language, Joan of Arc Celebration in Orleans France, Mary Vacher, Military Cemetery Dedications, Orleans France, Port Townsend Centennial March, Travel Arrangements, World War II Allied Invasions
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Interview With Noris H. Christensen
From the interview with Noris H. Christensen of Lakeview, OR conducted by John Clise by phone from the Fort Worden History Center on December 14,2004. Mr. Christensen served in the 369th EBSR Company C from December 1950 to December 1952 … Continue reading
Posted in Military
Tagged 369th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, Army, Calisthenics, Colonel Applegate, Colonel Spaur, Commanding Officers, Fort Worden Parade Ground, Korean War, Madigan Army Hospital, Morale, Native American Soldiers, Parade Grounds, Physical Exercise, Psychiatric Problems, Rochefort France
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Interview With Patricia A. Kelley
From the interview with Patricia A. Kelley of Columbus, OH conducted by Hazel Hatfield at the Fort Worden History Center on May 30, 2003. Ms. Kelley, the wife of Captain Samuel C. “Cliff” Kelley, lived in House 9W on Officers … Continue reading
Posted in Military
Tagged Aldrich's Market, Army Wives, Captain Samuel C. "Cliff" Kelley, Officers Row, Parties, Socializing, VE Day
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Interview With Frank A. Kraft
From the interview with Frank A. Kraft of Mobridge, SD conducted by Henry West by phone from the Fort Worden History Center on May 20, 2004. Mr. Kraft served at Fort Worden and Fort Flagler as a member of the … Continue reading
Posted in Military
Tagged 369th Engineer Amphibious Support Regiment Shore Battalion, 369thEASR, Army Food, Bob Hope, Bunkers, Camp Desert Rock NV, Deer Hunting in Korea, Fort Flagler, Fort Worden, Japan, Korean War, Korean War Living Conditions, M4 Tanks, M46 Tanks, Mortar Fire, Officers, Pheasant Hunting in Korea, Punchbowl Korea, Rifle Fire, Squad Tents, Tank Mechanics, Tanks Used for Artillery, USO Shows
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Interview With Susan S. Thomas
From the Interview with Susan Thomas of Port Townsend conducted by Wendy Los at the Fort Worden History Center on October 9, 2012. Ms. Thomas is Reservation Operations Supervisor at Fort Worden State Park Conference Center. She has been employed … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Conferences at Fort Worden, Extraterrestrial Communication Efforts, Prophets Conference 2003, Reservations Operations Supervisors, Washington State Parks Employees
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Interview With Alfred Simonette
From the interview with Alfred Simonette of Carmichael, CA conducted by phone from the Fort Worden History Center by Patience Rogge in 2009. Mr. Simonette served in the 360th US Army Band from 1947 through 1949. When McCormick General Hospital … Continue reading
Posted in Military
Tagged 360th US Army Band, Band Engagements, Clarinet Players, Crash Boats, Fort Worden Parade Ground, Living Conditions, M-Boats, McCormick General Hospital in Pasadena CA, NCO Club, Officers Club, Port Angeles WA, Service Club, Weather, Whidbey Island
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Interview With GEW
From the interview with GEW of Issaquah, WA conducted by Hazel Hatfield on May 11, 2002 at the Fort Worden History Center. GEW was a resident of the Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center here as well as several other juvenile … Continue reading
Posted in Juvenile Diagnostic & Treatment Center
Tagged A Frame Houses, Beach Parties, Bunkers, Christmas, Christmas Gifts, Christmas Trees, Cottages, Dick Roberts, Discipline, Fake Fireplace Brick Paper, Fights, Fort Worden Visitor Information Center, Isolation Areas, Jail, Miss Vineyard, Parental Neglect, Pokey, Port Ludlow WA, Renault Dauphine Automobiles, Residents (Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center), Siamese Cats, Staff (Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center), Structure of Lifestyle
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Interview With Joseph D. Benson, Sr.
From the interview with Joseph De Villo Benson, Sr. of Port Townsend conducted by Rae Tennyson at the Fort Worden History Center on July 7, 2002. Mr. Benson worked at Fort Worden from 1959 to 1981. His career spanned the … Continue reading
Posted in Juvenile Diagnostic & Treatment Center
Tagged Ang Taylor, Chetzemoka Park, De Villo Hotel, Dinky Engine, Drought in North Dakota 1927, Fog Horns, Gordon Trafton, Lance Cubley, Landes Street, Model T Trucks, N.D. Hill Building, OR, Paper Mills, Port Townsend, Recreational Vehicles, Seaside, Seattle, Westward Migration, William Matheson, Yellowstone Park
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Interview With Rodger Schmitt
From the interview with Rodger Schmitt of Port Townsend conducted at the Fort Worden History Center on March 18, 2011 by Patience Rogge. Mr. Schmitt serves as vice chair of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Before he retired, … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Decision-Making, Fort Worden Advisory Committee, George Randals, Life Long Learning Center, Parks Commissioners, Rex Derr, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
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Fort Worden Oral History Program Blog 