Dr. Wray has been President of FMHA since it began in 2003, responsible for leading the organization in its goal of preserving, protecting and defending all aspects of Fort Miles. Dr. Wray is co-author (with Lee Jennings, State Parks historian) of the book on Fort Miles, published by Arcadia Press in 2005. Dr. Wray also serves on the local Cape Henlopen School Board, where he has been both Vice President and President for almost two years, and is an elected trustee of the Delaware Historical Society, the oldest historical society in the state. Dr. Wray, representing FMHA, was also chosen by the state of Delaware as the State Volunteer of the Year in  2008. Dr. Wray is currently a professor at Wilmington University, the University of Maryland, and Delaware Technical and Community College.

Ted has been Secretary of the Fort Miles Historical Association since its inception in December, 2003. As Secretary he keeps a current and accurate record and mailing list of FMHA members, takes minutes at the monthly Board meetings, and makes any other correspondence that might be necessary. Board members are also asked to occasionally be present at local arts and crafts shows where the organization’s merchandise is sold.  Ted is a retired teacher from Capital School District where he taught American History, Political Science, and Constitutional Law at Dover High School for 35 years. After retirement he continued to substitute for 5 additional years. Currently he is a volunteer interpreter at the Delaware Agricultural Museum in Dover.

Merlin serves on the board of directors as the treasurer for the Fort Miles Historical Association.  His first introduction with Fort Miles was while serving active duty with the US Army in 1957 and 1958.  Having observed the quality of life in Lewes, Delaware, he and his family purchased their summer home in 1976 and upon retirement became a permanent resident of Lewes in 1993. 

FMHA Bunker Buster

A native Delawarean, John grew up on a farm in Odessa.  He spent many summers at the beaches of Delaware and explored Fort Miles extensively with his uncle, an Army colonel, when it was a recreational area and Nike Missile Master site. John attended the University of Delaware as a chemical engineering major. His many disciplines include mechanical engineering and design, electrical design, and chemical engineering. John worked for 30 years as a senior R&D scientist for Rodel Inc in the field of semiconductor materials and process development. Upon retirement, he had accrued 48 patents and nearly every semiconductor chip in the world has been touched by several of his inventions. His patents and inventions include, but are not limited to, materials and processes to polish silicon wafers and the circuits upon them to roughness levels less than the diameter of one atom, polyurethane development, chemomechanical polishing processes, MOPVE and PECVD deposition processes, composite materials, and selective etch processes.
John currently serves on the board of the FMHA overseeing volunteer efforts and work projects for the organization.

FMHA Bunker Buster

Joe has been a Board member since 2006. In his former reincarnation he was Assistant Treasurer and Security Investigator at the Citizens Bank of Maryland in suburban D.C. After 34 years there and working concurrently as a Prince George's County municipal police officer during 20 of those years, he and his wife of 53 years, Etta, retired to Lewes, in 1992. Although never finished, Joe has fully restored their 1898, late Queen Anne Victorian home on Savannah Rd. bringing that experience to the Ft. Miles project in addition to other strengths.  Joe has restored two of the WWII underwater mines that now rest in the south gun room of Battery 519. The M-3 and the M-4. Along with other members he also helped to complete the restoration on the 1942 Sperry 60” Searchlight. Joe and a crew of volunteers are currently working to complete the restoration of a Flak38, 20mm AA gun from U-853.
From '55 – '63, Joe was a member of the US Navy, attaining the rank of CTPO3 and served as a Communications Technician. He very much enjoys donning his whites and blues and conducting the public and private tours at Fort Miles to acquaint everyone with the story of the Fort's place in history.

Bob, who was raised and schooled in New England, first came to Delaware as a member of the United States Air Force and was stationed at Dover Air Force Base in 1955.
Retirement from government service came in 1994, while assigned to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. Bob returned to Lewes, Delaware in 2004 to live closer to his family and grandchildren. He became very interested in becoming an historical interpreter after touring Fort Miles in 2006. Bob received training and now volunteers in conducting battery tours of this WWII living museum. Hobbies include reading and studying Delaware history, metal detecting on Delaware beaches and restoring classic Corvettes.

FMHA Bunker Buster

Harry Winn moved to Lewes, DE and became a FMHA volunteer, contributing as a “Bunker Buster” since 2010. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, BBA, and Northwestern University, MBA, and CPA, he served as CFO or Treasurer five NYSE companies. He functioned as an International Executive in eight industries including Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Banking, Food, Oil & Gas and Utility (Gas & Electricity). He played significant roles in three start-up Medical Device companies and was President of Fifth Dimension Information Management, a Medical Device Information Technology company, with FDA cleared, computer programs used to make medical decisions and maintain records related to blood donors and components. Winn’s family has a long U.S. military history. He grew up in Wisconsin, served in the U.S. Marines, and is a history buff.

A native Delawarean, Bev grew up in North Wilmington and retired from DuPont International Marketing in Textile Fibers after 38 years of service. Bev moved to Fenwick with her husband after retirement.  She was an "army brat" at Fort miles from 1942 to 1946, as her father was an officer stationed there after serving from 1940 to 1942 at Fort DuPont.  Her father was also involved with the design of the fire control towers at Fort Miles.  She became an FMHA board member shortly after the founding of the organization.  Her family was involved in the clean-up of the barracks, officers building, and the bunker. She regularly attends the re-enactor weekends, craft shows, Coast Day and open houses.  Beverly is also FMHA representative at the DE Seashore Preservation Board for the restoration of Tower #3 at Dewey Beach.

Brian has served on the FMHA board for over 4 years. He was born in 1938 in Ross, California.  He was educated in the San Francisco Bay area and Washington D.C. area and attended the University of Maryland and Montgomery College.  His 45 year career included retail, broadcasting and pharmaceutical research. Brian is also a past president of the Suffern (New York) Historical Society and past chair of the Suffern Recycling Committee. He has been married for 20 years to Roberta Williams and currently lives in Lewes, DE.

FMHA Bunker Buster

Joe Johnson joined the FMHA in 2006 and toured Battery 519. Seeing that the structure had no power and lanterns being used for light, he took it upon himself to get the lights on. Thanks to Joe's hard work and donation of materials the lights were on within two years, paving the way for additional restoration work to begin.  Joe began working for Shore Electric in 1986, eventually purchasing the business in 1997 with his wife Karla by his side to keep him properly motivated. He currently holds a master electrician's license in the state of Delaware and in Cecil, Montgomery, and Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland. Moving from Claymont, DE, in 1979 to Lewes, Joe has always had an interest in the Cape Henlopen State Park and the fort.  Through the years he did a great deal of exploring the remnants of Fort Miles.  He currently lives in Milton, DE with his wife of 9 years. Joe looks forward to the day when Battery 519 is opened as a museum.

Dan Lyons is a native of Washington DC.  When young his family moved to Silver Spring, MD which he calls his home town.  He attended the University of Maryland and was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force upon graduation.  After 2 years of active duty and 11 years reserve service he is now a USAF Retired Reserve member.  Dan has lived in Middlesex Beach with his wife Peggy since 1982.  He has been an active volunteer firefighter for over 50 years and is currently an active member of the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Department where he serves on numerous committees.  He is also a board member for the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) and the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association.  ORP is dedicated to developing improved habitats for planting and growing oysters for the reduction of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.  Retiring 5 years ago after the sale of his packaging business, Dan now spends his time actively supporting the organizations of which he is a member.

Jack attended the University of Akron and served in the U.S. Navy where he met his wife. He became a park ranger in Ohio where he was Park Manager of the third largest park in the state. In 1970 Jack moved to Delaware to manage and run White Clay Creek State Park and Fort Delaware.  He eventually became the park superintendent of Cape Henlopen State Park, serving in that position for 13 years until becoming administrator of Cultural and Recreational Services (CARS) until his retirement 15 years later.