Community Relations 115 



federal," but I sought ways and means by which the federal government could 

 make itself a part of the community by complying, as far as practicable, with the 

 laws, philosophies, and policies of Virginia, and most particularly with the 

 County of King George. As I mentioned before, there was a decided cleavage 

 between the people of King George County and this Station. It was nothing 

 but an outgrowth of jealousy. That's all it was. It was not until we got the 

 schools merged and the dependents on this Station going to King George 

 High School that we found a lessening of that feeling. It took a full generation 

 to accomplish that. The kids see it from a different light. They grow up 

 together associated in the school system, and then they become the future 

 residents, and it was through that transformation that we saw the lessening of 

 that divided feeling. You still see some evidence of it here and there, but I was 

 personally acquainted with it. I grew up with it. 



My idea, as I said, was to try to make Dahlgren a part of the working 

 community as opposed to setting ourselves aside and saying, "We are the 

 United States Government. We'll do it our way, and you do it your way." I tried 

 to extend it not only to the county level, but also the state level by maintaining 

 contacts with our state agencies and working with them and asking for their 

 assistance on matters of mutual interest. I feel, and I always have felt, that if all 

 of our federal activities could and would operate with that philosophy we would 

 have less feeling of separateness between the state and federal governments, 

 but they don't do that. One of the major reasons we were able to do this was 

 that we were and are basically a civilian station; therefore, we are not 

 typical. The typical military activity is dominated by the military personnel who 

 are here today and gone tomorrow. Therefore, there is little relationship ever 

 established between the military and the surrounding community, and that's 

 understandable. However, I do not agree that it must be that way. 



You mentioned the Dahlgren students going to King George High School. Who objected to 

 this mostly? The school board? 



There were no objections to the merger of the school systems as such. We 

 have to go back to the 1920's, and I think that was about the date that the first 

 school was established here on the Station. At that time, we were the Naval 

 Proving Ground under the management authority of the Navy Bureau of 

 Ordnance, which made funds available to this command for the operation of 

 elementary and high schools. Where we are now was where the first school was 

 conducted — in this building [Building 246]. One half of this building was 

 devoted to the school and the other half for medical purposes — strange as it 

 may seem. We provided education for grade one through high school. Then in 

 1922, the first Dahlgren school building was opened. That is today what is 

 known as the Library and Chapel Annex, and it was during World War II that 



