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Flag Lowering CeremonySeptember 3 tl. 1979

FortAmadorand Fort Gulick,CanalZone

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Fort Amador-1915Fort Amador, located at thePacific entrance to the PanamaCanal on the east bank, wasnamed in honor of Dr. ManuelAmador Guerrero, the firstpresident of the Republic ofPanama. Opened in 1917, FortAmador was for many years thehome of the Coast Artillery unitswhich manned the big costaldefense guns on the Pacific side ofthe Isthmus of Panama.Although officially designatedas Fort Amador in 1911, theentire area which today comprises

Fort Amador aswellas the nearbyislands of Naos, Culebra, Pericoand Flamenco was referred to asFort Grant in the early years. In1911, when names were firstassigned to the militaryinstallations in the Canal Zone bythe War Department, themainland area formerly known asBalboa Dumps was formallydesignated Fort Amador.However, possibly due tovagueness of boundaries or afailure to publicize the new name,the name Fort Grant (which wasgiven to the four islands in honorof Ulysses S. Grant, Commanderin Chief of the Union Armies inthe Civil War and eighteenthPresident of the United States)was commonly used to designate

the mainland installation as well.It was not until 1917 when thewidow of President Amadorformally protested the failure touse the proper designation, thatsteps were taken by PresidentialExecutive Order to preciselydefine the boundaries of FortAmador and put its name intocommand as well as official use.Construction periodIn August 1911, when the firstground was broken in preparationfor the construction of the Pacific

coast defense fortifications on theislands, the area now known asFort Amador was little more thana broad stretch of mud flats andmangrove swamp. This area wasused as the dumping place forrubble excavated from the canalduring its construction. TheIsthmian Commission, however,had started in 1912 building abreakwater from the mainland, inthe vicinity of Balboa, to NaosIsland to protect the canalchannel from cross currents. Thisbreakwater was later extended toconnect Naos with the other threeislands. The flats on both sides ofa portion of the breakwater werefilled in to create Fort Amadorand that part of the breakwaterthat now constitutes the

causeway extending from FortAmador to the islands was solidlyballasted to support a railroad.Construction of post facilitiesat Fort Amador began in 1913.Beginning the year before,construction of the Panama Canalfortifications sites on the Pacificside had been concentrated atFort Grant where the majorcaliber coastal defense batterieswere being installed. By 1917construction of the eight heavilyfortified batteries on the islandswas completed and thetwenty-one guns emplaced in thebatteries -- six 14-inch guns, two6-inch guns, twelve 12-inch guns(mortars), and one 16-inch gun,which at that time was theheaviest caliber weapon in theworld. Added to this formidablearray of weapons, which made thearmament at the Pacific end of theCanal the most powerful defensecomplex in the world, were twoadditional batteries on CulebraIsland in 1928, each with one14-inch railway gun emplacedthere the following year.In 1915 the construction ofbarracks, several quarters and theheadquarters building at FortAmador was completed and readyfor occupancy by troops of the45th and 144th Coast ArtilleryCompanies, the first units to bestationed at Fort Amador. (The81st Coast Artillery Company,the first such unit to arrive on theisthmus -- on December 22,1913,was stationed at Fort Grant.)Additional units followed shortlythereafter.Although Fort Amador wasbuilt and used primarily forhousing the Coast Artillery unitsthat manned the big guns at FortGrant, some armament wasinstalled at Fort Amador. Twobatteries (Batteries Birney andSmith) were built at the southernextremity of the post on a little

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FortAmadorrise just north of the presentOfficers' Club, with constructionbeginning in 1913 and two 6-inchguns on disappearing carriagesinstalled in each one in 1917.

Post-World War IFollowing World War I, FortAmador continued to be regardedas an installation of majorsignificance. In 1932 the militaryforces in the Canal Zone werereorganized into Pacific andAtlantic sectors with the Pacific

began to shift from considering afrontal attack from the sea as themost likely means by which anenemy attack would be launchedon the canal to placing emphasison antiaircraft weapons as theprimary defense measure. Thusthe big coast defense guns wereplaced on standby status. TheJapanese air attack on PearlHarbor in 1941, mounted fromaircraft carriers hundreds ofmilesbeyond the range of the largestcoastal defense weapon further

14-inch railway gun on Culebra Island (1929-1947).Sector being headquartered atFort Amador. During the period1929 to 1939, shortage of fundsand personnel resulted inmany ofthe big seacoast gunson both sidesof the Isthmus being placed incaretaker status.

Shift in defense planningDuring the 1930's events inEurope and the emergence of suchtechnological developments as theaircraft carrier and the long-rangebomber aircraft began tochallenge the old axioms on whichthe defense of the Panama Canalhad been based. Defense planning

doomed the future of the bigguns. Nevertheless, there were nobetter weapons available forprecision fire at surface targetsand, even though primaryemphasis was placed onantiaircraft defense, the big gunsin the Can a I Z 0newer erehabilitated, tested and placed inservice status immediately priorto the United States' entry intoWorldWarII.

Under the Coast ArtilleryAugmentation Program institutedin 1939 and carried out within thenext two years major stress wasplaced on antiaircraft elements

and armament. Of the PanamaCanal defenses, virtually nothingwas spent at Fort Amador. Thegiant guns were gone over andimproved and, at the same time,the coast defense batteries werebrought up to full strength, butthe once impregnable harbordefenses essentially occupied asecondary role. In effect, thechanged outlook in defenseplanning reduced the status ofFort Amador from its rank as astrategic fortification to that of anArmy post.

World War IIUnder the reorganization ofthis emergency period, the coastdefense was organized as thePanama Coast Artillery Commandwith headquarters at FortAmador. Asan administrative andtactical headquarters, FortAmador was busier during WorIdWar II than at any time before.With the danger of an attack onthe canal having diminished in

1944 and, at the same time, theneed for manpower in activetheaters was reaching a peak, theWar Department ordered areduction in Coast Defensepersonnel in this area.Accordingly, the SecondProvisional Coast Artillery wasorganized in the Canal Zone forshipment to the United States.Though approximatelyone-third of the 63 big coastdefense guns on both sides of theisthmus had been dismantled andscrapped in 1943 (including thefour mortars at Fort Amador), theremaining guns were not scrappeduntil after the war, beginning in1946 and being completed in1948. Some of the massiveconcrete battery emplacementshave been filled in or covered

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over; some have been reclaimedby the jungle. But others standgrey and empty -- starkmonuments to a sound butobsolete strategy; a reminder tomilitary men of the vast changesin defense concepts that havetaken place in a comparativelyshort span of years.Post-World War II changesConcurrent with the scrappingprogram following the war, therewas a return to the sectororganization (which wasabolished in 1952), but PacificSector Headquarters was set upat Fort Clayton. Fort Amadorcontinued to be the Coast DefenseHeadquarters and the station for

an tiaircraft elements, includingHAWK missiles on Flamencoisland (which were removed fromthe Canal Zone in the early1970's).The next major changeaffecting Fort Amador occurredin 1949 when the Army commandwas moved to Fort Amador fromQuarry Heights. Although settingup Army Headquarters was a1949 event, it was the outgrowthof the 1947 organization of theUnited States Army Caribbean tosupplant the former PanamaCanal Department organized in1917. Fort Amador was officiallyapproved as the home the ArmyHeadquarters in the Canal Zoneon April 20, 1949.Since then Fort Amador hasbeen Headquarters of the UnitedStates Army Caribbean Command

its successor commands in theCanal Zone .. The United StatesArmy Forces Southern Command(USARSO) and, since 1974, the193d Infantry Brigade (CanalZone). The 193d InfantryBrigade, previously the majorsubordinate command ofUSARSO, was reorganized on

November 1974 as an installationunder the United States ArmyForces Command (FORSCOM),headquartered at FortMcPherso n , Georgia, and alsodesignated as the senior Armycommand in the Canal Zone andthe Army component of theUnited States SouthernCommand headquartered atQuarry Heights, Canal Zone.Treaty Impact on Fort AmadorThe Panama Canal Treaty of1977 stipulates the transfer ofcertain facilities at Fort Amadorto the Republic of Panama upontreaty implementation (October1, 1979). Accordingly, the 193dInfantry Brigade (Canal Zone)

relocated its headquarters, all ofits staff offices located at FortAmador, and the Headquartersand Headquarters Company, aswell as the 470th MilitaryIntelligence Group, the 79thArmy Band band and otheraffected elements, from FortAmador during the period ofAugust through September 1979.In addition to that area, the treaty

specifies that eight Army familyh o u sin g quarters also betransferred to the Republic ofPanama on the same date.The Brigade's headquartersand most of the staff offices andunits involved were relocated toFort Clayton, which will be a

Defense Site under the control ofthe U.S. Forces for the life of thetreaty (December 31,1999).'The remaining part of FortAmador will become, on October1, 1979, a Military Area ofCoordination for housing,administered jointly by the U.S.Forces and the Re public! ofPanama. The U.S. Forces 'willretain the remaining Army familyhousing (128 quarters) and thecommunity support services there.mtil some point during the newtreaty period, when no longerneeded.Since the treaty will restorePanamanian jurisdiction over theCanal Zone on October 1, 1979,t he Brigade's name will bechanged to 193d Infantry Brigade(Panama) effective that date.

Fort Amador Today-The faeilities shown and the outlying islands(formerly Fort Grant) will transfer to PanamaOctober 1, 1979.

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Fort GulickFort Gulick, located on theAtlantic side of the Isthmus ofPanama near the town ofMargarita, was named in honor ofMajor General John WileyGulick,Chief of Coast Artillery (1930-34)and at one time a sectorcommander under the PanamaCanal Department.Built as part of the World WarII expansion program and openedon May 5, 1941, Fort Gulick isthenewest of the Army posts in thePanama Canal area. It wasconstructed because of the needto relieve nearby Fort Davis ofcongestion, and expansion of

facilities at Fort Davis was notconsidered advisable.Construction began in 1940 andwas completed in 1943.One of the major facilitiesconstructed on the post (inaddition to personnel andadministration structures) was a250-bed Station Hospital whichwas built at a cost of nearly$2,000,000. The fort was heavily

populated during World War II, atone time housing a 1,000-bed'General Hospital which occupied14 barracks buildings. With thereduction of military strength inthe Canal Zone following WorldWar II, the Station Hospital wasclosed.One of the principal activitiesnow located at Fort Gulick is theU.S. Army School of theAmericas (USARSA), which wasmoved there from Fort Amador in1949 and occupies the old StationHospital building (Building 200).Also at Fort Gulick are thefollowing units and activities ofthe 193d Infantry Brigade (Canal.Zone}: the3d Battalion, 7thSpecial Forces Group (Airborne),1st Special Forces, which hasbeen stationed at Fort Gulicksince 1962 following relocationfrom Fort Bragg, North Carolina;the 549th Military PoliceCompany of the Brigade's LawEnforcement Activity; andAtlantic-side offices of some ofthe Brigade's staff activities.

In addition to quarters formilitary personnel, the postcontains a housing area forDepartment of Defense civilianemployees.Under provisions of thePanama Canal Treaty of 1977,Fort Gulick will become aMilitary Area of Coordination onOcto ber 1, 1979, the date ofimplementation of the treaty. Asrequired by the treaty, somecompany-size barracks facilities atFort Gulick will be turned over tothe Republic of Panama by thethird year of the treaty period(October 1,1982). By the end ofthe fifth year (October 1, 1984)all of the post -- except familyhousing, community servicesfacilities (which include the Armycommissary and the elementaryschool), and the ammunitionstorage facility -- will be turnedover to Panama. The remainingfacilities will be turned over toPanama sometime during the lifeof the treaty (by December 31,1999).

Fort Gulick-Home of the U.S. Army School of the Americas (left background) and the 3d Battalion, 7th,Special Forces Group (Airborne) (foreground).

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S 1 g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e E v e n t

~r ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ceremony Participants '

Today is the last day the UnitedStates flag jwtll fly at the Armyreservations of Fort Amador and FortGulick. Tomorrow he facilities at FortAmador which, until a few days ago,housed the headquartelS'-of the 193dInfantry Brigade (Canal Zone) andthose direct~rates, staff offices andunits located there, as weil as eightArmy- family housing units, will betransferred to the Republic of Panama,as stipulated by the Panama CanalTreaty of i 977. Also beginning

tomorrow, the remaining portion ofFort Amador (family housing andcommunity services activities) and FortGulick will become Military Areas ofCoordination.Under the terms of the new treatyand related agreements, beginningtomorrow, the United States Flag will

fly .along side of the flag of the Republicof Panama at Fort Clayton and HowardAir Force Base on the Pacific side of theIsthmus of Panama and at Fort Davis,

FortAmador

Fort Sherman and Galeta Island on theAtlantic side- a i l designated by the newtreaty as Defense Sites which will beunder the comlliete control of the.United States Forces for the life of thetreaty, that i t til December 31,

~1999. Both fla .Ialso fly at theMarine BarrJ~kS an, which Will.be part of/( < ward Air Force.Base/Fort) ., fense site, and attwo Milit of Coordination .Quarry Hel .and the United StatesNaval Station at Fort Amador.

Fort GulickH(8.(': Brigadier General Kenneth C. LeuerCommander193d Infantry Brigade (Canal Zone)

Colonel George M. ScheetsCommandantUnited States Army School of the Americas

(l)M MANDEROF1ROOPS :

Colonel Ward M. LeHardyDeputy Commander (Operations and Training)193d Infantry Brigade (Canal Zone)

Major Ronald H. DarnellExecutive Officer4th Battalion, 10th Infantry

UN l'lS :(4().mmmtachmmteach)3d Battalion, 5th Infantry4th Battalion (Mechanized), 20th Infantry193d Combat Support Battalion210th Aviation BattalionHeadquarters Command

4th Battalion, 10th Infantry3d Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne),Jungle Operations Training CenterUnited States Army School of the Americas549th Military Police CompanyComposite Unit: USA Health and' Dental Clinics ,

BAND : 79th United States Army Band Air Force Reserve Band ,l~ ~~~:~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Primary Mission: Defense of the Panama Canal