My Valley Forge Story: Larry Light

National Jamboree Patch, 1964

NPS/ Larry Light

My most vivid memories of Valley Forge and sense of the history of the encampment aren’t from my first visit to the park. That first occasion was a weekend family picnic trip that I remember from when I was young, probably elementary school age. The Washington Memorial Chapel and depictions of General George Washington praying in the snow were the most prominent things that I recall from that experience.

Not too many years later, in July of 1964 when I was not quite 13 years old, the 7 days I spent camping at Valley Forge during the 1964 Boy Scout Jamboree absolutely did make quite an impression on me. I was with a group (troop) selected by the Lebanon County (PA) Council to attend the National Jamboree being held at Valley Forge that summer. I was one of the younger scouts in that troop and I certainly had never been to anything like a National Jamboree. For me, everything was a new experience.

he National Jamboree was an amazing event for a young Boy Scout. It was reported that 50,960 of us were spread across the state park area. Evening programs were held in a hillside amphitheater and featured President Lyndon B. Johnson and Anita Bryant. You could walk among the countless patch and neckerchief traders who routinely gathered near the Memorial Arch. Visitors streamed down the road in front of our campsite every day. I met other scouts from around the United States and even some from foreign countries. There was no lack of daily skill activities designed to expand our scouting experience and sharpen our scouting skills. It was a tremendous way to start my journey to Eagle Scout, being tapped out to join the Order of the Arrow and later work at the local boy scout summer camp.

I probably didn’t learn much about the history of the 1777-1778 encampment by the Continental Army at Valley Forge during the jamboree. Although it was hard to completely ignore, since all the official jamboree patches and neckerchiefs featured the silhouetted figure of General Washington praying in the snow. I would learn a little more about the Revolutionary War when I had 8^th grade history, but for me those classes would not start until September. Later, a high school teacher really opened the door for me to appreciate history grasp the significance of the Revolutionary War.

What the jamboree did for me was nourish the realization that Valley Forge is a special place, a place set deep in our nation’s history. That it is a place where the suffering, sacrifice and leadership of those who were present would become part of the foundation of the American Revolution and our young nation.

I enjoyed the 1964 Valley Forge Jamboree so much that instead of making a Philmont Scout Ranch trek when I was older, I signed up for the 1967 World Jamboree in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. But for me, that wasn’t as impressive as the Boy Scout National Jamboree held at Valley Forge in 1964.

Now, 60+ years later, I have found it rewarding to be a Valley Forge National Historical Park Volunteer and to become a member of the Valley Forge Park Alliance. It is immensely satisfying to contribute in a small way to the enjoyment of Valley Forge by the school children, runners, hikers, history buffs, bicyclists and thousands of visitors that are in the park every year.

Tags: valley forge national historical park, my valley forge story, vf50, 50 years of valley forge