Barracks will become park

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Vancouver Barracks and its soldiers have seen a lot of American history since 1849, and a 1 p.m. ceremony today will be another defining moment.

Brig. Gen. Alton Berry will pass the United States flag to National Park Service official Chris Lehnertz, in the final action of military personnel on Vancouver Barracks.

Memorial Day’s “Post to Park” event is the official closure of the East and South Vancouver Barracks as an Army Reserve base, and its transition to a national park.

“It’s a major milestone – not just for the Army and the National Park Service, but for the community,” said Tracy Fortmann, superintendent of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

One of 397 national parks, Fort Vancouver is working on a master plan for the 33 acres and 28 buildings it is acquiring.

The ceremony will be at the Artillery Barracks, 600 E. Hatheway Road. The renovated structure is in the West Barracks, which already is under civilian ownership and management.

The Post to Park exchange involves much more than the moment when Brig. Gen. Berry, deputy commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 88th Regional Support Command, passes the flag to Lehnertz, the Pacific West regional director for the park service.

The process is governed by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (BRAC). The Defense Department and the Department of the Interior (which oversees the National Park Service) have been collaborating on the handover, Fortmann said.

“We’ve worked well with the U.S. Army,” Fortmann said. “We’ve worked with them on caretaking issues.”

It’s a continuing process, which means the Army isn’t actually done with the barracks. It’s still working on lead abatement in three high-visibility buildings facing Officers Row. The buildings had firing ranges in the attics for small-arms practice.

The Army also will do additional work to button up the unoccupied buildings.

“Both those projects will carry on until the end of June or July,” said Ray Cozby, the park service’s project manager.

And speaking of an ongoing Army presence, regional military units are welcome to return for special events.

“We want them to use the barracks for observances like change-of-command ceremonies,” said Larry Smith, Vancouver city councilor and mayor pro tem.

Smith served at Vancouver Barracks two decades ago.

Today’s ceremony will be followed by 30-minute park ranger tours and Fort Vancouver’s annual “Soldiers Bivouac.” The living history encampment will include costumed interpreters representing the post’s links to the Civil War, Indian War, Spanish-American War, and Philippine War eras.

Others sites will interpret the post’s World War I and World War II history, including home-front perspectives from the Kaiser Shipyard’s “Wanda the Welders” and Army aviation at Pearson Field. Vintage military vehicles will be on display.

Re-enactors portraying the Civil War-era soldiers from the First Oregon Volunteers will conduct a weapons drill and ceremony.