Life of Bessie, 1892 - 1987, part II
The short, chilly days make this the perfect time to catch up on some reading. May we suggest tucking yourself into a chair with a blanket and a cup of tea to continue with the extraordinary life of Bessie?
Where we left off
As you may remember from the first installment of Ms. Bessie Virginia Charawell-Jarboe-Koudal's life story, we ended with her husband Sergeant Matthew (Matt) Jarboe returning home from World War I. This was to be the “War to end all wars” and thus life was very different afterwards. Many of the coast defense forts were deactivated and placed in caretaker status, meaning a select few solders were left to maintain the grounds, structures, and remaining guns. One such fort placed in caretaker status was Fort Whitman on Goat Island, and Sgt. Jarboe was chosen for the opportunity to act as Commanding Officer of this small, six-man detachment (that dwindled to a two-man detachment).
Fort Whitman was a smaller version of Fort Worden. You could say it was a back-up coastal defense fort. Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, and Fort Casey guarded the main deepwater channel into Puget Sound to protect the Naval shipyard in Bremerton. This would have been the most likely route that a fleet of enemy vessels would have taken to enter the sound. However, there is another way in through Deception Pass. That’s why Goat Island became the perfect location for back-up defenses.
