Sailing into the Dry Tortugas one can see the massive walls of Fort Jefferson from miles away. This majestic red and yellow brick structure was, in its time, at the technological forefront of the USA’s defenses. The walls stand 45 feet tall and eight feet thick and would intimidate even the most battle hardened sailors.
Lucky for us, the fort no longer has any military presence, and has been turned into a wildlife refuge and National Monument. Upon our entry into the great structure the one thing that struck us all was its sheer size. Its massive outer wall protects 11 acres of what would have been a community of more than 1000 men ready to fight and defend their country. We had heard a lot about all of the massive artillery that the fort was loaded with, but all that we could see was the mountings where the cannons had stood before. I looked around to find someone who could answer some of my questions.
Ray, a volunteer who works at the fort for two months each year, and spends most of the rest of his time traveling across America with his wife, was exactly the man that I was looking for. He had been a volunteer for many years, and knew the fort and its history like the back of his hand. He explained that the cannons had, except for the largest ones, all been removed when the military abandoned the fort. Ray adopted our group and gave us an unofficial tour of his temporary home, fueling our interest and capturing our imagination with all the wild facts and figures that he recited from memory. Never hesitating to answer a question and pointing out things that could easily have been missed, Ray made the whole day much more interesting.
Before the expedition had started Wenger had given us two Mike Horn Swiss Army Knives, one for us to keep and another to give to a deserving person. I found Ray to be more than deserving, and his reaction upon receiving the knife left me with no doubt that I had found the perfect candidate. He gratefully accepted the knife and told of all the ways in which he would put the knife to work, not only within the maintenance of the fort, but in all his future camping trips. I am grateful to Wenger for giving me the opportunity to pass on one of their knives to someone that may never have otherwise appreciated one of their products.
