46- CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, May 30- June 5, 1997
Dennis Forney photo
Delaware National Guard continues to train at Bethany Beach
For more than 60 years, Delaware's National Guard has inhabited simple camp where planes landed and took off before and during World War II as
barracks on the shores of Bethany Beach for its summer training exercises, part of the Delaware National Guard's mission as an anti-aircraft unit. The
This aerial photograph shows Camp Thomas R. Carper and the townhouse camp attracted thousands of visitors before and during the war years who
and residential development edging Salt Pond in the distance. Each sum- liked to watch the Guardsmen. Federal WPA writers in 1938 said: "By night
mer the camp hosts a Governor's Day when the Governor and his staff re. the sky is cut by brilliant searchlight beams trying to pick up 'enemy' air-
view the troops. The camp traditionally takes on the name of the Governor planes towing targets forghe agfillery. Balloons are sent up by the dozen to
currently in office. The photo also shows the airfield at the back of the be smashed by streaming red incendiary bullets from machine guns."
