This falls under the category of nothing going as planned.

Governor McDonnell was scheduled to arrive at Fort Monroe on August 9 at 3:30 to take a brief tour, read our 400th Birthday Proclamation and sign the Fort Monroe Authority (FMA) legislation. Unfortunately, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates picked this particular morning to announce his intention to dismantle Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), affecting thousands of people locally.

Because of his need to address this development, the Governor’s plans had to be reworked. We got a call on the morning of the 9th letting us know that the Governor would only be at Fort Monroe for 30 minutes, and he would be arriving at 2:15.

Colonel Anthony Reyes and his team at the Fort rearranged the tour, and staff at city hall called all the citizens and elected officials who had advised us they were attending the event. The Governor’s helicopter landed at Fort Monroe on the pad near the Bay Breeze Community Center right on schedule, and Colonel Reyes and I greeted the Governor and his staff and escorted them to the waiting bus.

A little Dramamine might have been helpful as the very talented driver of the old school bus we were on navigated the gates of the moat, hairpin turns and speed bumps all over the Fort. The Governor was relaxed and charming as usual, and seemed genuinely fascinated by the tour. The Governor was no stranger to the Fort as he was stationed at Fort Eustis in earlier days, and often made trips to the Fort for official Army business.

The beautiful beaches are some of the many striking things about the Fort during the summer. The Army’s shoreline restoration work has had tremendous results.  The beaches are open to the public and life guards are provided by the City of Hampton. They are pristine and almost empty.  If you are a beach fan, I would strongly recommend a visit.

The Governor asked many pertinent questions on the trip, and we discussed the financial challenges ahead for the Commonwealth, the Fort Monroe Authority and the city as we work to ensure the Fort remains preserved, cared for, and vibrant.

He then had to rush off to meet up with our local congressional delegation to address the closure of Joint Forces Command.

At his request, we sent the Governor a copy of the Virginian Pilot’s excellent series on the contraband slave movement’s genesis at Fort Monroe entitled “Free to Fight.”