I just got back from Governors Island. It was an enjoyable day. I just showered and am now relaxing with a cup of coffee and Miles Davis on the turntable as I squeeze out the last few hours of the weekend. Here are a few quick pics:

Manhattan skyline, 9:45 am

I took this south of Fort Jay looking north toward Manhattan. The Army and Coast Guard personnel who return talk about how they had the best of both worlds when stationed on the island; the island had the feel and security of small town America, but with the excitement and cultural benefits of New York City just a ten minute boat ride away.

Castle Williams, 10:05 am

This was the view from the table where I was distributing the free tickets for the castle tour. The courtyard is open to all, but access to the roof is by guided tour only. The first boat of the day had not arrived yet, which is why there is no one here.

Governors Island is one of America’s special places. There is still two full months left in the season.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Today was orientation day at Governors Island for all volunteers. It was so good to be back and to see many folks I had not seen since last summer. Here are a few pics, some of which were taken by my great friend Sami Steigmann.

Castle Williams

The view from atop the circular fort is stunning. Castle Williams opened to the public for the first time in two centuries just last year.

Freedom Tower

Here is a closer look at the Freedom Tower, which when finished will be the largest building in the Western Hemisphere. Coast Guard brats who lived on the island in the late 1960s and early 1970s recount watching the original World Trade Center structures going up little-by-little from the island.

Old Coast Guard barracks

This building, on the southern part of the island managed by the city, is set for demolition at 6:00 am next Sunday, June 9. A park is going up in its place.

Camp scene

A living history unit, of high schoolers from Rhode Island no less, is camping out and interacting with the public this weekend.

Fort Jay

The orientation stopped at Fort Jay. This System Two fortification is at the highest point on the island and so thankfully suffered little damage during Superstorm Sandy, though there was some to the old sculpture atop the sally port.

Modeling with the park’s new toy

Last year there was much excitement that we would be getting a canon in time for the 2013 season. Rangers were unhitching this baby from the truck as we walked by.

It is going to be a great summer at Governors Island. Come see for yourself.

In the latest twist on everyone’s favorite man in uniform:

The Pentagon relocates the G.I. Joe team to Governors Island in Upper New York Bay and, with their distinctive outfits and code names, they’ll have to deal with the general population, which could be good or bad, depending on the situation.

Maybe he’ll take one of my tours next summer, in disguise of course. Enjoy your weekend.

Today was my final day of the season at Governors Island. After tomorrow the park will not be open to the public again until next May. It was a fun and rewarding summer. The staff there is very hardworking and knowledgeable without taking themselves too seriously. It is really a privilege to work with them and with the public at one of our country’s great historical sites. Here are some photos from the final two Saturdays.

We headed down to the tip of Manhattan to catch the ferry at the Battery Maritime Building, slip #7 adjacent to the Staten Island ferry terminal. So far it all seemed very familiar, except for the absence of the Shore Patrol.

Jan Kelsey lived on Governors Island in the 1970s with her Coast Guard officer husband. Recently the two returned to see what had changed and what still remained. I never tire of hearing the stories of those who lived and worked on the island, just as I never tired of meeting people who had passed through Ellis during my time there. The best bits are in the details. As Hemingway said, tell them about the people and the places and how the weather was. Ms. Kelsey has certainly done that. This is the most lucid 1,500 word take on Governors Island I think I have read.

As she recommends, come check it out for yourself. There is another month to go in the season.And remember, the island is open Labor Day Monday.

(image/Chris Ruvolo)

Last week I mentioned the reunion of Coast Guard brats held this past weekend on Governors Island. I took the opportunity to talk to as many of these folks as I could and it was a priviledge. Many had not been back on the island since the 1960s and they were conspicuous on the ferry ride. They were the ones soaking it all in from the bow. Reunionites had come from as far as Portland and Seattle to be part of the weekend’s events,and without exception they were quite approachable and happy to share their stories.. I committed the faux pas of asking one if he and others were doing the “tourist thing” in the city. His answer was that he wasn’t a tourist, but coming home. A few told stories of having Girl Scout meetings in the casemates of Castle Williams, something I had read about but never heard discussed in the first person until last Saturday. I had always wondered what it was like attending a Boy Scout/Girl Scout meeting, teen dance, or Halloween party in a Second System fortification built just prior to the War of 1812. Did the participants find it strange? Unsettling? Mordant, but perhaps in a vaguely pleasurable way? The answer is that, even as young children living on the base with their military dads and families, they understood and appreciated the uniqueness of their situation. They understood how special it was even as it was going on, which is quite a gift. A brother and sister mentioned living with their family in one of the houses in Nolan Park back in the day. Another watched the original World Trade Center buildings rising across the harbor from her living room in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some were old enough to have attended the 1964-65 World’s Fair. It was everything you volunteer for. The New York Times was on hand.

Much of my mental energy this summer has been spent on my volunteer duties at Governors Island National Monument. I had always known that the island had a rich history. I feel that this summer I have come to understand some of that history in a deeper way than I had perviously. Other than the week the Hayfoot and I went to Gettysburg, I have not missed a Saturday. My favorite part of the island is a toss up between the general orientation tour and manning the gates–literally–at Castle Williams. The latter is especially rewarding because, standing at the entranceway to the old fortress greeting passersby, one eventually meets most visitors to the island. Some are in and out of the fort in minutes and some stay an hour or more reading every wayward sign. It’s all good.

At my day job we do not work on Fridays in July and most of August. So, today I went out to the island for a walk-through of the interpretive program I have been preparing for the upcoming Civil War Weekend. Essentially I spent the past few weeks researching and drafting an interpretive program about the island’s connection to the Civil War, and today a ranger and I walked the island where I performed it for him for advice and feedback. It is always beneficial to get some input before facing the public and I got a great deal of it today from a ranger who is especially knowledgable. It was lot of fun. I was about 90% there before the walk-through. After a few tweaks based on the input I received this morning I will be ready.

If you live in the New York area, I hope you are able to make it to Governors Island for Civil War Weekend, August 11 and 12. Details to come.