Fort Indiantown Gap Links Welcome to Ft Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap Story Fort Indiantown Gap History Biddle Hall (PNGAS HQ) Story PA Nat Guard Military Museum Lebanon Daily News   "Back at the Gap" Index  "Back at the Gap" is a series of articles by Major General (USAF, Ret.) Frank H. Smoker, Jr. These articles were first published in the Lebanon Daily News, and they are reprinted at the PNGAS Website with the permission of the author. The 50th and final installment of the “Back at the Gap” series was published on 12 October 2005.  “One hundred weeks ago, “ Smoker wrote, “I started writing these biweekly articles with the purpose of acquainting the people of our community with the history and status of Fort Indiantown Gap and to convey its importance to the vital military and economic value to our community.” In his final article, Smoker announced plans to assemble the 50 columns into a book, also titled “Back at the Gap”, with proceeds to benefit the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum at Fort Indiantown Gap. All 50 articles are available here on the PNGAS web site. Click these articles to go "Back at the Gap": Introduction to "Back at the Gap" Two:  "Culture" Three: "Precious Stones" Four: "Danger Rules" Five: "Century of Peace" Six: "Guard at Gretna" Seven: "Mobilization Point" Eight:  "Build Back At Gap" Nine:  "Stunning Growth" Ten: "Feds Lease Gap" Eleven: "Assembly Line Approach" Twelve: "Lake, Airfield, Name Change" Thirteen: "Training Post in '41" Fourteen: "Memories of Construction" Fifteen: "National Treasure" Sixteen: "Roads and Support Facilities" Seventeen:  "Equipment" Eighteen:  WWII Put Gap on Map Nineteen:  Community Club Twenty: Demobilization Twenty-One: New War, New Activity Twenty-Two: Governor's Day '52 Twenty-Three: Governor's Days 1953-1954 Twenty-Four: Gap changes status Twenty-Five: Chaplains kept busy Twenty-Six:  Chapels Survive Changes Twenty-Seven: Resettlement I Twenty-Eight: Cuban Refugees Twenty-Nine: Friendship and Gratitude Thirty:  I-81 and Gap Expansion Thirty-One:  Battle of the Bulge Reenactment Thirty-Two: Vietnamese Start New Lives at the Gap Thirty-Three: Pentagon Sets Sights Thirty-Four:  Events of '91 and '92 Thirty-Five:  German POW Visit Thirty-Six: BRAC '91-'95 Thirty-Seven: Chamber Fights BRAC! Thirty-Eight: Saving Fort Indiantown Gap Thirty-Nine: Supports Prove Gap Worth Saving Forty:  Training Expands in 1990's Forty-one: Usage increases as NG Training Site Forty-two:  Gap Thrives Under Guard Leadership Forty-three:  Gap Growth under New TAG Forty-Four:  Retooling for Stryker Brigade Forty-Five:  Environment a Priority at Gap Forty-Six:  Jet Dropped in River Forty-Seven: Bomb Squad and Other Functions Forty-Eight: Gap Monuments Forty-Nine: Modernization -- Building Future Fifty:  Museum to Keep Telling Gap Story Fort Indiantown Gap is widely known as the home of the Pennsylvania National Guard.  PNGAS has renovated A. J. Drexell Biddle Hall on Fisher Avenue as its Headquarters.  And so it is appropriate that we share with PNGAS members the history of Fort Indiantown Gap as collected in the reminiscences of General Smoker. General Smoker completed a long, distinguished career in the Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard when he retired in 1985 as Commander of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and Deputy Adjutant General for Air.  Retirement from the Guard has brought no respite for General Smoker, as he remains active in PNGAS, the Pennsylvania National Guard Scholarship Fund, the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum, the Military Affairs Committee of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, and many other civic organizations. The "Back at the Gap" series is a natural for General Smoker as he recounts the history of Fort Indiantown Gap and provides his recollections and insights into the Gap's history. "Back at the Gap" articles are © 2003, 2004, 2005 Frank H. Smoker, Jr. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission of the author.     Go "Back at the Gap" Index