The Voices of Fort Barry

Ft Barry Looking Towards Rodeo Beach
Fort Barry

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 44413




Fort Barry was an active US military post from 1908 until the Coast Gaurd turned the final lands associated with Point Bonita Lighthouse over to the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreaion Area. Even with hundreds of years of stories at this place, here are a few that have been saved. Unlike army records, and military details that are usually easy to find, these stories talk about the lives of the civilians and staff who lived and worked here, as remembered by them.

Click for more history about Fort Barry
 
Camouflaging at Battery
Camouflage at Battery

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 35301



"We started to work on physical camouflage before it was casemated, and that was before the war. We started that not long after we got here. That was part of the training."

 
 
SF88 Nike Site at Fort Barry
NIKE Missile Site SF-88

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 35301



"I definitely was very fearful at that time that we would be at war, and then you start thinking of San Francisco would have been gone if we don't do our job." -Ron Parshall

 
 
 
 
These oral histories may be used for any legitimate non-commercial public or press use with proper credit given to the National Park Service. If you have any questions or require additional information, please reach out to the Park Archives and Records Center’s reference archivist at 415-561-2807 or Contact Us.

For a Complete List of Oral Histories Available by Topic
 

For More Stories About Fort Barry


Listen to Elizabeth de la Torre discuss enlisted service clubs on The Voices of Fort Baker

Listen to John Schonher discuss coastal defense on The Voices of Fort Miley

Listen to Peter Tirpik discuss coastal artillery on The Voices of Fort Miley

Listen to John Kern discuss the Army and National Park Service transfer on The Voices of Fort Mason

Listen to Werner Ottens discuss being on base as a teenager on The Voices of Fort Cronkhite

Listen to Earl Van Note discuss his time in the Coast Artillery Corp on The Voices of Muir Woods

Return to The Voices of the Marin Headlands Main Page

Return to the Oral Histories Main Page.

Last updated: July 10, 2024

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