August 13, 2011 Del. to receive WWII-era gun barrel 66-foot long, 135-ton piece will be moved to Cape Henlopen State Park By Jon Bleiweis Staff Writer LEWES -- With the help of the Fort Miles Historical Association, the state is hoping to move a World War II-era gun barrel, currently located at the St. Julien's Annex of Norfolk Naval Base, to Battery 519 in the Cape Henlopen State Park. Gary Wray, president of the FMHA, said the 16-inch barrel was the middle barrel of the first turret of the American battleship USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered the war on the deck of the battleship on Sept. 2, 1945. "Little Lewes is gonna get a piece from that big event," he said. "I'm proud that our state is getting this barrel donated to us by the Navy. It's a real catch for the state of Delaware." Jim Hall, chief of cultural resources for Delaware State Parks, said bringing the 66-foot long, 135-ton barrel to Delaware is a big project that his agency will be taking on. Transporting the barrel, preparing it for display and lproviding for ong-term maintenance are all key parts of the timeline, with the goal of having a safe, accessible plan in place to maintain the piece for future generations. Hall said he submitted an application to the U.S. Navy's surplus department approximately two weeks ago in the hope of acquiring the gun barrel and was told that as long as there is a strong and logical transport plan, the barrel could be theirs. There is currently no set timeline to get the gun to the park, but Hall has asked the Navy for one year to gather the funds necessary to transport the barrel via rail and rail barge to Delaware. "It's quite a production just to transport (the barrel) to the site," he said. "It's not a slam-dunk proposition. The Navy wants to see a strong transportation plan, which we have. What we need to do now is lock up funds." Wray said it will cost approximately $100,000 to transport the barrel. The FMHA has about half that amount already, and a fundraising committee has been established to collect the rest. Nick Carter, a Realtor who lives in Lewes, is a 1970 Naval Academy graduate who served in the U.S. Navy for two tours in Vietnam and was the founder of the Delaware chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association. He said he will be involved with the FMHA's fundraising efforts. "I think it's really exciting," he said. "To have the barrel at Fort Miles is a unique opportunity and I'm glad to be a part of it." After the barrel arrives, Hall said it could be a year or two before it's displayed. It will join eight other guns currently located at Fort Miles.http://www.delmarvanow.com/print/article/20110813/NEWS01/108130334/Del-receive-WWII-era-gun-barrel