Fees Waived for Veterans on Veterans Day

Date: November 1, 2006
Contact: Kim Coons, 912-638-3639

On Saturday, November 11, 2006, all U.S. veterans, members of the U.S. armed forces, and their families will be admitted free-of-charge on Veterans Day to Fort Frederica National Monument and all public lands managed by the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture.

This is a small way to honor all veterans, past and present, and to encourage visitation to our nation’s diverse public lands.

For further information contact Kim Coons at 912-638-3639.

Admission Fees: For those who are not veterans, the charge for adults (age 16+) is $3.00 per person. Children under age 16 are free. Fort Frederica, National Parks, Golden passes are valid for admission to the park and its events at all times.

Background: Fort Frederica National Monument is one of America’s national parks. Established in 1936 and dedicated in 1947, the park preserves the incredibly rich archaeological remains of one of Great Britain’s strongest forts in the colony of Georgia. It was on St. Simons Island in 1742 that British troops from Frederica and Darien decisively defeated Spanish Floridians in the Battles of Gully Hole Creek and Bloody Marsh. Ironically, the very battles that saved Frederica from destruction by the Spanish doomed the town and fort to ruins. Without a Spanish threat, Britain pulled Frederica’s soldiers out of the fort and the settlers left as the town’s economy suffered. All but abandoned, the town of Frederica slipped into history. Time has worn down the earthworks protecting the town, yet the ruins and foundations of the buildings remain as a visual reminder of the struggle for empire on Georgia’s coast. Today, the National Park Service, with assistance of the Fort Frederica Association and volunteers, preserve these symbols of our colonial past and share them with visitors from around the world.