Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years

Dedication of Constitution Park
THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES
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Fort Meade’s Constitution Park was dedicated Sept. 14,
1986, to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Annapolis
Convention. The Annapolis Convention had been held
Sept. 11 to 14, 1786, with the intention of modifying the
Articles of Confederation. Only five state delegations
were able to get to Annapolis on time so they didn’t have
a quorum and were thus unable to alter the Articles in
any way. Still they met and discussed the problems and
in the end issued a report calling for a convention of all
the states in Philadelphia the following May. The purpose
of that convention would be to write a new governing
document. Said convention did indeed take place and
it was there the Constitution of the United States was
written.
Thus as the bicentennial of the adaptation of the
Constitution neared, a range of events were planned to
mark various milestones along the path leading to its
acceptance. The kick-off event was held at Fort George
G. Meade because “The Army Sponsored the event in its
capacity as executive agency for the Federal Commission
of the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, chaired by
former Chief Justice Warren Burger. The Army took
the forefront because of the heritage it shares with
the development of the Constitution. Seven of the 12
representatives at the Annapolis Convention were Army
veterans of the Revolutionary War. Twenty-three of the
men who ultimately signed the Constitution were Army
veterans.”
It was at that event that Justice Burger and Secretary
of the Army John O. Marsh Jr. dedicated the ground
now known as Constitution Park on Fort Meade. Soil
from each of the five states whose delegates attended
the Annapolis Convention was used to plant a white oak
at each point on the pentagon-shaped walkway. Justice
Burger and Secretary Marsh ceremoniously ladled out a
bit of the soil at each tree.
All of the articles in our file from Soundoff! and
Soldiers Magazine refer to the pentagon-shaped walkway
and immediate vicinity as Constitution Park, although
we have no memorialization paperwork showing proper
staffing of the naming request.
By Robert Johnson, SoundOff!
A marker was unveiled which still stands at the end
of the sidewalk which leads from the front face of the
pentagon to its center point. The plaque reads:
Dedicated Sept. 14, 1986, to commemorate the
Bicentennial of the Annapolis Convention, Sept.
11–14, 1786.
Delaware, New York, Virginia, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania Commission on the Bicentennial of
the Constitution of the United States; Warren E.
Burger, Chairman Department of the Army, John
O. Marsh, Jr, Secretary of the Army.
***
(Left above) An annual Constitution Park event, the Army
Field Band plays their annual summer concert series. This
photo, from 2016. (left below) Constitution Park is a relaxing
place to sit and reflect. (Left below) Dedication marker.
(Below) The fountain at Constitution Park.